As we all know, communities grow and change, reflecting the path they’ve already traveled, the members who comprise them, and where they intend to go; our very own 0x00sec is no different. In the past few years, pry0cc and I have had the privilege of helping navigate all this growth and change with all of you. From our small, ragtag group of members who emigrated from Nullbyte to our short-lived (and possibly doomed-from-the-start) podcast, to our CTFs, and everything in between, this has been one heck of a great ride. And by no means is it stopping here!
Two worlds
As admins, pry0cc and I strive to build healthy community. While we aren’t perfect, we do seek to constantly observe, improve, and remediate problems where we see them. However, one problem has always eluded us. We noticed roughly a year or so ago that the IRC and the forum were becoming different communities altogether. Different people, different cultures, and a different ethos entirely. As we worked to try and reconcile this, we attempted several different solutions, but none of them really worked. Finally, recently, we realized that the IRC and the Forum had just become two completely separate communities who happened to share a domain name and administrators. This wasn’t inherently wrong or broken, but rather the result of growth and maturing in both places.
We also recognize that many people here have close ties to both the forums and the IRC, but many more are here almost exclusively for one or the other. We want chat to be productive conversation centered around 0x00sec’s values of building up newcomers, promoting awareness of information security, and producing awesome hackers, projects, and people. To that end, pry and I have decided to rearrange how 0x00sec’s chat and forums operate to accommodate the natural pattern we see emerging.
A new community
This is not a revolt, revolution, or coup. It’s not a rejection of 0x00sec. Instead, we have decided that 0x00sec’s official chat medium will move to Discord. I know that this is a move that we’ve debated in the past and that I have been very vocal about in my opposition. This is also why we have decided that the IRC will continue on mostly in its present form, but under a new name and with some small tweaks to the rules and CoC. The IRC server will no longer be official 0x00sec, nor will it be part of the 0x00sec networks or infrastructure. It will become a new community altogether, partnered with 0x00sec, but stripped back to the bare minimum. For the next few months, you will be able to access the new IRC server at either the old address, irc.0x00sec.org, or the new address, irc.secops.space.
As mentioned, chat for 0x00sec will live on in the form of Discord. However, instead of being a “public utility”, as the IRC was, it will be more curated and members will be added selectively based on merit and recommendations from other members in good standing. This means it will be invite only. More details on how this will work are forthcoming.
Changes in governance
As communities split and reorganize, a change in leadership is also essential. In our case, new leadership and organization is necessary. As for 0x00sec, pry0cc will continue to be your BDFL. For myself and my involvement with 0x00sec, I will become an Administrator Emeritus, retaining my privilege but stepping out of the day-to-day management. I’ll still be present, involved, and chatting with all of you, but my attention will be primarily focused on the new community we are forming–at least for the time being. Along with me, Nugget/Daemon will be running the new community and we will be appointing a first round of staff while we determine the best way to govern. Our philosophy will be to keep a light touch, intervening as little as possible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we feel that the IRC and the forum have both grown, matured, and flourished in wonderful ways. It’s time for one of us to “leave the nest.” After some discussion, pry and I agree that it’s time for the IRC to become its own community under its own name and rules, free to forge ahead and continue making the next generation of hackers.
On behalf of the 0x00sec staff,
fraq
