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 clean up its act. I know that I’ve had moments in irc where I’ve lost my cool, or said something that I regret later…yesterday in fact.

So, for my own selfish purposes I would like to see a public log of the channel. It’s been kind of a defacto rule that there are no public logs for the two years #code4lib has been going…but I think it might be time to add them. My reasoning is:

1. it would require me to clean up my act, or at least be conscious of when I’m being erratic and telling the logging bot to go “off the record”. This is how #swhack logs operate with some success.
2. it would allow people with lives to scan the logs looking for stuff and get other work done
3. it would encourage international participation by people who aren’t online with the (Eastern|Central|Mountain|Pacific) Standard Tribe
4. 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. I guess we should have a vote or something :-)