Freenode

Freenode, stylized freenode and formerly known as Open Projects Network, is an IRC network used to discuss peer-directed projects. Their servers are accessible from the host names chat.freenode.net, which load balances connections by using the actual servers in rotation. In addition, a web client is available at webchat.freenode.net. In 2010, it became the largest free and open source software-focused IRC network; as of 2013, it was the largest IRC network, regardless of focus, encompassing more than 90,000 users and 40,000 channels.
According to staff members, in 2021 Freenode underwent a "hostile takeover", causing them to resign. Former staff created Libera Chat, an independent IRC network.
Characteristics.
Freenode is centrally managed. Staffers or staff (as IRC operators are called) have the same access across all servers. A list of active staff can be viewed using the codice_1 command. Some operations that would normally only apply to one server (like K-lines) are propagated across the whole network. Servers are "donated" to the network, rather than "linked".
The network focuses on supporting peer-directed and open-source projects. Primary on-topic channels begin with a single #, and groups wanting to use such a channel may officially register with Freenode. "About" channels, which may not be about a peer-directed or open-source project, begin with two ##, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Server software.
Freenode currently runs Atheme IRC Services and IRCd-Seven, a set of Freenode-specific patches on the Charybdis IRCd (itself based on Ratbox). In 1999, Freenode ran an IRCd called Dancer (based on IRC-Hybrid), then switched to Hyperion in 2005. Hyperion was then replaced with IRCd-Seven on 30 January 2010.
History.
Freenode began as a four-person Linux support channel called #LinPeople on EFnet, another IRC network. By 1995, after moving to Undernet, and then to DALnet, it moved from being just a channel to its own network, irc.linpeople.org. In early 1998, it changed to Open Projects Net (OPN) with about 200 users and under 20 channels. OPN soon grew to become the largest network for the free software community, and 20th largest in the world. In 2002, the name changed to Freenode and the Peer-Directed Projects Center (PDPC) was founded. PDPC was a registered IRS 501(c)(3) charity from 2002 until approximately 2010, during which it received support from such organizations as the Linux Fund in 2007.
On 24 June 2006, a user with the nickname "ratbert" gained administrative privileges of Freenode administrator Rob Levin () and took control of the network. It is likely that approximately 25 user passwords were stolen as a result. This user proceeded to K-line many Freenode staff members, and most Freenode servers subsequently went down for several hours.
Around 30 January 2010, a new attack was discovered on Freenode that had never been seen before in the wild. Internet troll organization Gay Nigger Association of America created a piece of JavaScript that caused users of Mozilla-based browsers such as Firefox and SeaMonkey to silently connect to Freenode and flood it. This exploit used an ability of Firefox to submit web forms to a port other than 80 (the default HTTP port). Whilst Firefox developers had blocked most ports some time ago, port 6667, the port for IRC, was not blocked.
On 2 February 2014, Freenode suffered a DDoS attack (confirmed by @freenodestaff on Twitter) which caused a partial outage.
On 22 February 2014, Freenode suffered another DDoS attack which caused partial outage, followed by several botnets which attempted to attack #freenode but were redirected to #freenode-unreg. After the attacks, several servers remained nullrouted by their providers and, for a short time period, only a single server in rotation was accepting connections.
On 13 September 2014, a DDoS attack occurred which caused the network to split for several hours, followed by several botnet attacks in the #freenode channel and against Freenode's services. Freenode's infrastructure team noticed a vulnerability on one of their IRC servers. So far, the team only managed to identify indication of the server being compromised by an unknown third party. Freenode recommended that all users change their NickServ password for safety reasons, and has temporarily taken the compromised server offline until the vulnerability is fixed. A deep technical analysis of the rootkit used in the attack was released on 14 October 2014.
In 2015, Freenode was bridged to Matrix via matrix.org.
On 14 April 2017, it was announced that Freenode had been sold to London Trust Media doing business as Private Internet Access.
On 17 August 2017, Freenode suffered from a "fairly extensive spambot attack ... containing child pornography images." In the midst of combating the attack, the operators accidentally set a K-Line banning most users of the network.
The spambot attack continued in the following year, involved even more networks and was called "Freenodegate", seeing the creation of sites against the administrators of Freenode with accusations to favor pedophilia and their reaction through editing the server configuration (IRC usermodes), to stem the spread of those messages and reassure users.
2021 ownership change and conflict.
In May 2021, many Freenode staff members resigned after what was described by them as a "hostile takeover" attempt by Andrew Lee, owner of Freenode Limited (which operates the Freenode #live conferences). According to former staff members and Companies House records, Christel Dahlskjaer, former head of staff, transferred ownership of Freenode Limited so that the conference could be run in an efficient manner. According to staff, they were not informed of the contents of the deal and were told that it would not affect Freenode's day-to-day operations as the company only managed the conference and nothing else. A few months later, Freenode's website began to advertise a service which Lee co-founded. Shortly thereafter, Dahlskjaer resigned from leadership of Freenode Limited. After Dahlskjaer's resignation, Freenode staff elected a new head of staff and made a blogpost explaining the leadership changes. A former staff member claims that Lee requested that the blogpost be taken down without any explanation but then took it down himself. Hackaday reports that an associate of Andrew Lee, Shane Allen, was also recorded making claims that he would be promoted about being promoted to staff member and was also recorded recruiting others for staff. Hackaday also reports that Alpine Linux security team chair, Ariadne Conill, was offered various donations to her project if she joined their team and "[got] behind Lee’s claim to Freenode". 
Lee denied these claims and said that his company, Shells, via a sponsorship, provided Freenode with over $3,000 a month and that the staffers all ousted Dahlskjaer as head of staff. Lee also accused Tom Wesley, current head of staff, of harassing Dahlskjaer and also of attempting a "hostile takeover." In a statement released by Lee, he said that he is entitled to access to Freenode's servers as he is owner of Freenode Limited. It has been pointed out that, as Freenode servers are not owned by Freenode but instead given to them for use by sponsors for free, that the servers are not owned by Freenode Limited and that the sponsors may pull out at any time.
Several open-source projects, including cURL and Haskell, have left Freenode as a result of this. Hackaday reports that Vim and Reprap have left freenode and that Arch Linux will "let the dust settle" first. Anil Dash, a tech entrepreneur, stated that it was "heartbreaking to see Freenode in disarray after decades of being a vital open platform for communities." Jackie Singh, former cyber security engineer who worked for the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign, also thanked former Freenode staff members for their work.
Afterwards, some former staff members formed Libera Chat and, subsequently, many projects migrated to the new IRC network or to other networks.
Peer-Directed Projects Center.
The Peer-Directed Projects Center (PDPC) is known as the organization which ran the Freenode IRC network, where many prominent open source projects host their official IRC channels. The PDPC was incorporated in England and Wales.
PDPC was created to run the Freenode network and to establish a variety of programs relating to peer-directed project communities. According to its charter, the PDPC exists "to help peer-directed project communities flourish", mostly based around free and open source software projects, and encouraging the use of free software through supporting its development. The GNU Project uses the Freenode network for communication.
The PDPC was founded and initially directed by Rob Levin. In November 2006, the board went through a reshuffle and new members were installed. Seth Schoen left and Christel Dahlskjaer, senior Freenode staffer, became the secretary and head of staff on Freenode in Schoen's place. Also joining the board was David Levin, Rob's brother.
In March 2013, the PDPC was dissolved. The decision to dissolve was made in part due to the donation levels and costs associated with maintaining its status as a charitable organization in the UK.
Rob Levin.
Robert Levin (16 December 1955 – 16 September 2006), also known as , was the founder of the Freenode IRC network and Executive Director of the PDPC charity that helped fund Freenode. A computer programmer since 1968, Levin worked as an administrator and an applications programmer from 1978 until his death.
On 12 September 2006, Levin was struck by a car while riding a bicycle at night in Houston, Texas, in a hit-and-run collision. After the collision, it was reported that Levin was hospitalized for several days. He died on 16 September.
OpenProjects.
From 1994 onwards, Levin worked to encourage the use of IRC for Free Software and Open Source projects. Levin was one of the founders of the OpenProjects Network (OPN), which quickly grew to become the largest IRC network used by the free software community. The OpenProjects domains were later put up for sale, but did not sell.
In 2003, "The Register" (UK) reported that Levin mismanaged funds intended for the OPN, quoting him as writing that they went "to paying bills, to paying the rent, to buying food and necessities."