new file mode 100644

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@

+# Freenode IRC Administration Guidelines and Tips

+

+This is not meant to be a general "Here's how to IRC" document, so if you're

+looking for that, check Google instead. ♥

+

+If you've been charged with helping maintain one of Docker's now many IRC

+channels, this might turn out to be useful.  If there's information that you

+wish you'd known about how a particular channel is organized, you should add

+deets here! :)

+

+## `ChanServ`

+

+Most channel maintenance happens by talking to Freenode's `ChanServ` bot.  For

+example, `/msg ChanServ ACCESS <channel> LIST` will show you a list of everyone

+with "access" privileges for a particular channel.

+

+A similar command is used to give someone a particular access level.  For

+example, to add a new maintainer to the `#docker-maintainers` access list so

+that they can contribute to the dicsussions (after they've been merged

+appropriately in a `MAINTAINERS` file, of course), one would use `/msg ChanServ

+ACCESS #docker-maintainers ADD <nick> maintainer`.

+

+To setup a new channel with a similar `maintainer` access template, use a

+command like `/msg ChanServ TEMPLATE <channel> maintainer +AV` (`+A` for letting

+them view the `ACCESS LIST`, `+V` for auto-voice; see `/msg ChanServ HELP FLAGS`

+for more details).

+

+## Troubleshooting

+

+The most common cause of not-getting-auto-`+v` woes is people not being

+`IDENTIFY`ed with `NickServ` (or their current nickname not being `GROUP`ed with

+their main nickname) -- often manifested by `ChanServ` responding to an `ACCESS

+ADD` request with something like `xyz is not registered.`.

+

+This is easily fixed by doing `/msg NickServ IDENTIFY OldNick SecretPassword`

+followed by `/msg NickServ GROUP` to group the two nicknames together.  See

+`/msg NickServ HELP GROUP` for more information.