Clojure Off-topic IRC channel

[Rayne]

A week or 2 ago, Lau_Of_DK asked me very nicely to stop talking so off-
topic in #Clojure. I mentioned that we should have an Off-topic
channel for people who would just like to talk, because just about
every other language's channel on freenode has an off topic channel
(#haskell-blah for instance). He said it has been discussed and
because of the low volume of #clojure (which isn't so low if you think
about it), it would not be a good idea. I just went along with that.
But today I thought about it, and I haven't seen it discussed and if
it has been discussed here before I'm sorry, but I'd like other
peoples input on this. I feel that making an off topic channel for
Clojurists would not effect the volume of #Clojure in any way. In fact
I feel that it would remove any current, or future extensive off topic
chatter in #Clojure and help to keep things on tract. If people want
to talk off topic they can come to the off topic channel, and if they
don't want to talk about #Clojure, they probably wouldn't be there in
the first place. How would it effect #Clojure's volume? I personally
think having an off topic channel is a great idea, but it's not my
language and #Clojure isn't my channel.

I have made a channel on freenode called #Clojure-Offtopic for now it
is explicitly marked as unofficial and waiting for Rich Hickey's
approval. If for some reason, you guys /really/ don't want an off
topic channel, I have respect enough to remove the channel for you
guys. I will not announce this channel in #Clojure until I have the
communities approval. It seems I've attracted durka to the channel
somehow though :p.

I'm sorry if this topic isn't right for this group, but I'm not sure
where else I should discuss it.


-Rayne

[Rayne]

I have now acquired 4 regulars who agree with me! We need more! Join
people join! :p

[Chas Emerick]

+1

I actually think that #clojure is very active. Of the channels I
frequent/lurk in, only #git regularly surpasses #clojure in number of
messages per (my) day. Maybe that says more about my irc interests, so
take that as you will.

#clojure-offtopic doesn't have much poetry to it, but I'll keep out of
naming stuffs.

- Chas

[Rayne]

Names really weren't my priority here. I'll be happy to link -offtopic
to another channel with a different name if someone thinks of a better
name somewhere down the road ^_^.

[Michel Salim]

Since -social might imply the normal channel is .. err .. not (which
would be most inaccurate!), how about #clojure-cafe?

- Haskell has a "Cafe" forum / mailing list
- Additional cute point: the first 16-bit of a Java class file is
0xCAFE

Best regards,

--
Michel S.

[BerlinBrown]

The IRC nazis are just that. IRC is on the internet. IRC is not some
CIA/FBI stream of information. I think off-topic should be allowed in
most IRC channels and in most it is. It is a virtual community.
Community implies communal discussions. That sometimes veer from the
core topic. I started out on freenode on #java and they were liberal
about off-topic and it was a great way to interact with cool people.
The more stand-offish channels are easily forgettable.

There are really only two ways to run IRC, no off-topic or off-topic.
The no off-topic channels suck.

With that, I think it is silly to create a clojure-offtopic, offtopic
should be OK sometimes in #clojure.