Posted by Possibly io7m on Jan 17, 2013; 5:17pm
URL: https://forum.jogamp.org/Freenode-IRC-tp4027870p4027899.html

'Lo.

The security isn't really stronger or weaker than on the jabber server. It's obviously possible to impersonate you by joining the jabber chatroom with an identical or very similar nickname. Both have SSL available if you're concerned about packet sniffing.

There are two things you can do to improve matters a bit on Freenode. The first one is to set both "secure" and "private" modes on NickServe:

17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- ***** NickServ Help *****
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- Help for SET:
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)-  
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- SET allows you to set various control flags
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- for nicknames that change the way certain
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- operations are performed on them.
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)-  
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- The following subcommands are available:
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- ACCOUNTNAME     Changes your account name.
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- EMAIL           Changes your e-mail address.
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- EMAILMEMOS      Forwards incoming memos to your e-mail address.
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- ENFORCE         Enables or disables automatic protection of a nickname.
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- HIDEMAIL        Hides your e-mail address.
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- NEVEROP         Prevents you from being added to access lists.
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- NOMEMO          Disables the ability to receive memos.
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- NOOP            Prevents services from setting modes upon you automatically.
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- PASSWORD        Changes the password associated with your account.
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- PRIVATE         Hides information about you from other users.
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- PROPERTY        Manipulates metadata entries associated with an account.
17:10:57 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- QUIETCHG        Allows you to opt-out of channel change messages.

17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- ***** NickServ Help *****
17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- Help for SET ENFORCE:
17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)-  
17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- SET ENFORCE allows you to enable more protection for
17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- all nicknames registered to your account.
17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)-  
17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- This will automatically change the nick of someone
17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- who attempts to use it without identifying in time,
17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- and temporarily block its use, which can be
17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- removed at your discretion. See help on RELEASE.
17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)-  
17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- Syntax: SET ENFORCE ON|OFF
17:11:22 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- ***** End of Help *****

17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- ***** NickServ Help *****
17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- Help for SET PRIVATE:
17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)-  
17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- SET PRIVATE hides various information about your
17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- account from other users.
17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)-  
17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- SET PRIVATE ON automatically enables HIDEMAIL too.
17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)-  
17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- Syntax: SET PRIVATE ON|OFF
17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)-  
17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- Example:
17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)-     /msg NickServ SET PRIVATE ON
17:11:38 -NickServ(NickServ@services.)- ***** End of Help *****

The second is to ask the Freenode people for a cloak:

http://freenode.net/faq.shtml#cloaks

The process takes all of about ten seconds (a standard "unaffiliated" cloak is free).

Even better would be for us to create a JogAmp group eventually.

http://freenode.net/faq.shtml#groups