# The Ruby IRC Channel is #ruby-lang on Freenode **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [February 25, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-ruby-irc-channel-is-ruby-lang-on-freenode/161328 "2009-02-25T15:13:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rue](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@rue](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rue)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-ruby-irc-channel-is-ruby-lang-on-freenode/161328/1 "2009-02-25T15:13:47Z")
Hi, small public service announcement: The official Ruby IRC channel is #ruby-lang on Freenode (i.e. irc://irc.freenode.net/ruby-lang.) The #ruby channel on the same network should NOT be used at this time because its administration is in the hands of a third party (who has, in addition, been absent for a long time.) There has been a recent increase in people mistakenly joining that channel rather than #ruby-lang. Until the administration is transferred to Ruby Central or other person/entity appointed by matz (and this may take some time with Freenode’s policies), all #ruby people should move to #ruby-lang to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort and splintering of knowledge. Everyone else is naturally heartily welcomed, as well! IRC is usually the fastest way to obtain help (although the ML is fairly snappy usually) and the most convenient way to hang out with other rubyists! There are around 500 people on the channel(s), of whom 50 or more are online at pretty much any given time. (There are also several more specific channels such as #rack, #rubyonrails, #rspec, #merb and so on.) Thanks! ``` rue ``` – Magic is insufficiently advanced technology. ---
**Author:** ![rue](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@rue](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rue)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-ruby-irc-channel-is-ruby-lang-on-freenode/161328/2 "2009-02-25T20:41:36Z")
Eero S. wrote: > Until the administration is transferred to Ruby Central or > other person/entity appointed by matz (and this may take some > time with Freenode’s policies), all #ruby people should move > to #ruby-lang to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort and > splintering of knowledge. What would have to happen to get #ruby back? - Charlie ---
**Author:** ![rue](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@rue](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rue)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-ruby-irc-channel-is-ruby-lang-on-freenode/161328/3 "2009-02-26T14:43:07Z")
Charles Oliver N. wrote: > Eero S. wrote: > > > Until the administration is transferred to Ruby Central or > > other person/entity appointed by matz (and this may take some > > time with Freenode’s policies), all #ruby people should move > > to #ruby-lang to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort and > > splintering of knowledge. > > What would have to happen to get #ruby back? It is likely to be easier currently, with fflush and dross having been gone quite a while, but essentially there needs to be a verifiable claim to ownership (since the # channels are reserved for “official” versions, ## not) which means something from matz et al.–previously I think a phone call verification was required, which would have caused obvious difficulties–and then the appointment of someone to administer it in the future. In the interim, we are trying to get everyone to move to the same channel. Back when I last looked, this was not an issue since #ruby only had 20 people on max, but right now #ruby-lang has 300-400 or so, and #ruby has 250-350, of whom about 200-250 are ONLY on #ruby (there are several folks on both channels, exacerbating the problem by not forwarding them to the correct one.) This is a huge problem, because half the Ruby (IRC) community is missing one half of all questions/answers/discussions, and the other half is missing the other half.