Friday 22 March 2013

IRC: problems authenticating your nickname

I have been using IRC now for a number of years and encountered a problem recently that I had not come across before. If your on IRC channels (eg Freenode) frequently then it is a good idea to register your nickname, this ensures that nobody else uses it or tries to claim to be you. This can be done in 4 simple steps:
  1. /msg nickserv register {your password} {your email} 
  2. /msg nickserv set hidemail on 
  3. Check your email and follow instructions 
  4. /msg nickserv identify {your password} 
For step 4 you will probably find a way to set this up automatically if you use an IRC client.

Recently I noticed that I was unable to log on using my registered nickname and found myself being logged in with an alternative.  I was continually greeted with the message "nickname temporarily unavailable

Should you be given the same message then there is an easy workaround:

  1. Log onto IRC using your preferred client
  2. /msg nickserv register {your nickname} {your password}
  3. /quote nickserv set enforce OFF 
  4. /quote nickserv release {your nickname} {your password}

After completing these 4 steps, quit your IRC client and then re-start and you should have your old IRC nickname back.  Happy chatting.

The Humble Weekly Sale

The Humble Bundle has been on the go for a while now, offering a selection of games on a "pay what you want" basis, which is available for a limited period only.  Not only are these games cross platform, DRM free but also part of every donation goes to help a charity.

They have now just launched the first of the Humble Weekly Sales, and what a title to begin with: Bastion an RPG-action game.  If you would like to find out more about the game then watch the promotional video below or go to the Humble Weekly Sale website.


The plan is that a new game will be launched every Tuesday with added incentives for those who are willing to donate more of their hard earned cash.

This shows that the market for indie gaming is alive and well in a very difficult economic time.