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+title: "IRC Network Changes" +date: 2021-06-16T11:32:30-04:00 +We [recently released]({{<ref "post/2.14.5-released.md">}}) Pidgin 2.14.5 +and mentioned in that post that we changed the default IRC network in Pidgin +from Freenode to Libera.chat. We've also posted on Reddit, Twitter, and +Facebook that we established `#pidgin` on Libera.chat and aim to meet our users +"wherever they may flock." As part of those posts we said we were monitoring +the ongoing situation, implying that we would take whatever we felt would be +appropriate action when necessary. +Yesterday (2021-06-15), Freenode threw away its decades of history. All user +and channel registrations were removed. All active connections to the "old" IRC +infrastructure of Freenode were terminated, forcing everyone onto the "new" +Freenode. As part of this, Pidgin developers' nickname registrations and, in +fact, `#pidgin`'s registration too, were lost. This is the ultimate outcome of +what was described as a "hostile takeover" of the Freenode IRC network some +We have re-registered `#pidgin` on the new Freenode infrastructure and fully +intend to maintain our presence on the new Freenode. However, as a result of +these Freenode shenanigans and the overall general movement of the open source +software community away from Freenode, we decided that we will now consider our +presence on the Libera.chat network to be our "official" IRC presence. +Additionally, we also registered `#pidgin` on the OFTC IRC network and are +maintaining a presence there. +You will now notice that the IRC link on the side bar of our website points to +Libera.chat's web chat and that we've removed the Freenode links and information +on our [community]({{<ref "/about/community">}}) page. This is in keeping +with our decision to make Libera.chat our "official" IRC presence. +We aren't leaving Freenode as a project, although some people who used to be +stalwart presences in `#pidgin` there may not be present anymore. We're going +to continue maintaining our presence there as long as the network is not +hostile to our presence. We continue to aim to meet our users wherever they