How to Become a Channel Operator

There are many ways to become a channel operator, and each channel has their own rules on how to choose their operators. On this page you will find what we think it takes to be a channel operator, and sometimes it is as important not to do things as it is to do others.

Good Things To DO:

Be sure that you have an honest interest in the topic that the channel is about. Sometimes a channel has more than one topic, in that case make sure you are honestly interested in the main topic.

Visit the channel regularly, so you get a good feel of the room, and the people there. That will also tell you if you want to be part of the staff.

Learn the rules in the channel, this could mean a visit to the channel homepage if there is one, often the time used to study the channel and the channel rules, pays back a lot.

If you are able to help in the channel, then help there, honestly it doesn't take being an operator to help fellow channel people. Not having an @ doesn't take away your skills.

When you are in channel, try to use the same nick, this way you make sure that the operators and people get to know you, and not think it is different people helping out.

Gain knowledge about the operator tools that are available on the network. This can be hard if you do not have access to all services, but on most network homepages the services are described, and normally a lot of information is available.

Be yourself, if being you is not enough to feel good in the channel, then maybe you are not right for the channel, or the channel is not right for you.

Things NOT To Do:

In many channels asking/begging for ops is considered very annoying, prove your value instead. Don't just prove to be an op, but because you want to help, operating can be hard work, and a attitude change if you get the @, will show clearly.

Do not in channel try to teach an op how he or she should do the work, this most certainly will make it hard to gain support, becoming an operator.

Do not harass other users in the channel, with private messages, notices and/or file sending that is not asked for. Remember even people without @, can be operators.

Do not do things that are against the network politics, a channel built on a network is built on that network because the rules of the network is what the channel founder(s) wants.

Do not fight with other users in channel, take it private. Fighting in channel is a bad habit, and not something an upcoming operator should waste his/her time with.

Do not impersonate an op in channel.