Since the code4lib conference the #code4lib irc channel has gained a lot of new voices with new ideas. In fact dsalo and ksclarke have already said all I can think of saying on the topic of the changing culture of the #code4lib channel. Some people have suggested that some of the ideas, such as a journal, doing outreach/consulting work, etc will require the irc channel to become a bit more ‘professional’.

My theory is that having a public log might help encourage this sort of atmosphere. The logging would allow you to go ‘off the record’ if you really want to say something and don’t want it viewable in the logs. In addition to making you think before you type, logging would have some other benefits:

  1. it would allow people with lives to scan the logs looking for stuff and get other work done
  2. it would encourage international participation by people who aren't online with the (Eastern|Central|Mountain|Pacific) Standard Tribe
  3. and most importantly it would allow for interesting consuming applications

At any rate I think that code4lib changing is a good thing. Afterall, an organism that has ceased changing is umm, dead. Unless there are any objections I’m going to create a poll and see what the general feeling on this is.