Friday night I get a PM from SpaceGoat.

  [SpaceGoat] you've got mail ;)

  [SpaceGoat] i registered goodmonin2ya.net, sent you the l/p for root on the shell

  He's giving me keys to the entire operation. Not just operator access. Not just a bot account. Everything. The domain registration. The DNS records. Root access to the server.

  This is either massive trust or a test to see if I actually know what I'm doing.

  [SKa] thanks man

  [SpaceGoat] steez has access too. you two coordinate the dns and ircd setup

  [SpaceGoat] i'll handle the domain registration stuff

  [SKa] on it

  I open the DNS control panel.

  The interface looks nothing like the tutorials I've read. Different registrar, different layout. I'm searching for where to add an A record—the thing that tells the internet which server hosts goodmonin2ya.net.

  Tabs everywhere. "Domain Settings." "Name Servers." "Advanced DNS." None of them are what I need.

  My palms are sweating.

  [SteeZ] you got the dns?

  [SKa] working on it

  [SteeZ] cool. im grabbing the ircd source code. we'll compile it once dns is pointed

  If I mess this up, the domain is dead before we start. SpaceGoat will know I was bluffing. "Hybrid ircd, shell with root access, couple hours of config work"—I said that like I'd done it before.

  I find it buried under "Advanced DNS Management." A record configuration. Finally.

  I memorize the shell's IP address. Type it into the field. Check it three times.

  Wait.

  I typed it wrong. Mixed up the last two digits.

  [SteeZ] dns done?

  My hands are shaking. I fix it. I copy it this time and paste it. Check four times. The cursor blinks in the field.

  [SKa] almost

  [SteeZ] no rush. compile's gonna take a while anyway

  Hit save.

  Nothing happens.

  No confirmation message. No error. Just the same screen staring back at me.

  Did it save the wrong IP? Did it save at all?

  I refresh the page. The field shows the correct IP. But still shows the old parking page nameservers.

  [SteeZ] how's it looking

  [SKa] i think it's right

  [SKa] but it's not showing changes yet

  [SteeZ] propagation takes like 24-48 hours

  [SteeZ] but we can test with the ip directly

  [SteeZ] starting compile now

  Relief hits like cold water. DNS propagation is slow. This is normal.

  But I almost pointed our domain at the wrong server. Would've taken 48 hours to fix. Would've been the first thing SpaceGoat saw—SKa can't even configure DNS correctly.

  [SteeZ] compile failed

  [SKa] what happened

  [SteeZ] missing library. libwrap or something

  [SteeZ] fixing it now

  Twenty minutes pass. I stare at the DNS panel. The numbers still look right. Right?

  I check the shell's IP again.

  Correct.

  I've checked this twelve times.

  [SteeZ] ok compiling again

  I pull up my terminal, SSH into the shell, watch SteeZ's session through screen. More errors scroll by. Warnings. Dependencies. Another library missing.

  [SKa] you need help?

  [SteeZ] nah. ircd's always a pain to compile

  [SteeZ] just takes forever

  My clock says 11:47 PM.

  [SteeZ] third try. this should work

  It doesn't.

  [SteeZ] dammit

  [SteeZ] permissions issue

  [SKa] want me to check something?

  [SteeZ] nah i got it

  Midnight. 12:30. 1:15 AM.

  Each failed compile feels like proof I shouldn't be doing this. If we can't even get the server running, what made me think I could help build it?

  [SteeZ] ok THIS time it'll work

  The compile runs. No errors scroll by. Clean output.

  [SteeZ] finally

  [SteeZ] configuring it now

  We spend the next hour editing config files. Server name. Admin info. Port settings. Operator passwords.

  Every field feels like a trap. What if I set max connections too low? Too high? What if the Message of the Day crashes the server?

  [SKa] what should we set for max connections?

  [SteeZ] start with 100. we can always bump it up

  [SKa] cool. and message of the day?

  [SteeZ] you write it. youre better with words

  [SteeZ] ok i think we're ready

  [SteeZ] you wanna test it?

  [SKa] let's go

  He starts the ircd daemon. The process spawns.

  [SteeZ] it's running

  [SteeZ] try connecting

  I open BitchX. Type the IP address. My fingers hover over Enter.

  This either works or I've wasted six hours and proven I have no idea what I'm doing.

  Enter.

  The screen goes blank.

  Then text scrolls:

  * Welcome to GoodMonin2Ya IRC Network

  * Your host is irc.goodmonin2ya.net, running version Hybrid-6

  It worked.

  [SKa] holy shit

  [SteeZ] we're live?

  [SKa] we're live

  My clock says 4:17 AM.

  ---

  I sleep for three hours. Wake up at 7:30 to check if the server's still running.

  It is.

  SpaceGoat and SteeZ are already connected.

   we're live

   this is sick

   check the channel list

   just #main. empty except us

   we built this

  Three users. Three operators. Total control.

  I try something I've never been able to do before. As a server administrator, not just a channel operator.

  /oper SKa [password]

  The server responds:

  * You are now an IRC Operator

  IRCop. I have every command. Every privilege.

  K-line users—server-level bans. Kill connections. Link to other servers. Create new operators. Modify any channel. Auto-op myself anywhere.

  Six months ago I was guessing at BitchX commands. Now I could ban anyone from the entire server.

  I could find Ankit on here. K-line him permanently. He'd never know it was me.

  He's not here though. Probably.

   lets set up channels

   #main for general. #crew for us. password protected

  Saturday afternoon, I'm eating lunch when FLiPZ shows up. No idea how he found us.

  His messages start scrolling through #main.

   hey anyone know how to link to this server from another ircd?

   trying to figure out the config

  I know the answer. Linking requires server passwords in the ircd.conf. Takes thirty seconds to explain.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  I switch to #crew.

   someone's asking about linking in main

   probably some kid

  I switch windows. Look at #main. FLiPZ is still there, waiting.

   also whats the oper password format? trying to set up my own server

  I could help him. I just did this yesterday.

   hes fine. hell figure it out

   true

  I stay in #crew.

  Ten minutes later, FLiPZ's messages stop.

  But he doesn't leave.

   yo can someone help me set up a bot

   what kind of bot

   eggdrop. got the shell access but compile keeps failing

   you need tcl library

   oh sick lemme try that

  Wait. BigDog? terminator?

  I check /names #main.

  Seven users now.

  Where did they come from?

  Back to #crew.

   FLiPZ invited people

   yeah saw that

   he posted the server info on dalnet

   should we kick them?

   for what? connecting?

  Twenty minutes later:

   got it working

   thanks t1000

   yo everyone should check out #bots. just made it

  #bots?

  I check the channel list.

  #main - 9 users

  #crew - 3 users

  #bots - 4 users

  He created a channel. On our server. And populated it.

  Back to #crew.

   he just made #bots

   so?

   and invited people there

   that's... kinda the point right?

   we want people using it

   yeah but we should have ops on #bots

  I join #bots.

   oh hey SKa

  The user list shows @FLiPZ.

  He has ops. I don't.

   anyone need bot help just ask

   this server is sick btw

   way better than dalnet

  Four hours ago, it was just the three of us. Empty server. Now someone else is building the channel structure.

   nice channel

   yeah figured you guys wouldn't mind

   this server needs more channels anyway

  I could ask for ops. I built this server. I have IRCop access—I could take ops by force if I want to.

  But SpaceGoat's right. This is what we wanted. People using the server. Building community.

  Back in #crew:

   he's recruiting more people from dalnet

   traffic is good

   yeah but what if he brings his own crew

   what if they outnumber us

   we have ircop

   we can just k-line them

   if we k-line everyone who makes channels we'll have an empty server

  He's right. But I check the channel list again.

  #main - 12 users

  #crew - 3 users

  #bots - 7 users

  #scripts - 4 users

  #shells - 5 users

  FLiPZ made three channels in two hours.

   we should get ops on his channels at least

   ask him nicely first

   or just take it

   not yet

  Seven hours ago, it was just the three of us. Empty server. Total control.

  Now there are thirty-one people I've never heard of.

  I watch #bots. FLiPZ is helping people compile eggdrops. Walking them through the same stuff I struggled with last night—but he's doing it like it's easy. Like he's been doing it for years.

   you're missing a library. try installing the dev package

   which one

   for tcl. should be in your package manager

   oh shit it worked

   see? easy

  It *wasn't* easy. I spent three hours on that exact problem yesterday. But he makes it sound simple. Makes them feel like they can figure it out.

  He's doing what I wouldn't. Answering questions. Helping people. Building community faster than we are.

  In #crew:

   31 users now

   this is what we wanted

   yeah

  But it doesn't feel like what we wanted.

  We built the server so we'd be in control. Now I'm watching someone else build faster than we did.

   we should help him

   what

   serious. he's bringing traffic. helping people. doing what we wanted this server to be

   but he didn't build it

   so what

   we built the infrastructure. he's building the community

   thats division of labor

   be great if flipz would contribute some tutorials to our webpage too

   lol. we already have enough for launch

   serious. look at him in #bots. hes good at explaining stuff

   we need bot setup guides, shell guides, all that

   flipz could do it

  Wait. What?

  Tutorials are *my* thing. I'm the one who writes guides. The one who explains things. That's what I *do*.

   i mean... i was gonna write those

   you should both do it

   more content is better

  SpaceGoat switches to #main. I watch him send the message.

   @FLiPZ you interested in writing some tutorials for the server?

   oh hell yeah

   what do you need

   bot setup, shell basics, whatever you think new users need

   im on it

  Just like that. He agrees. No hesitation. Like it's the most natural thing in the world.

  I stare at the conversation.

  That was supposed to be my role. My contribution. The thing that made me valuable.

  I switch back to #crew.

   yeah that works

  SpaceGoat's right. But every new channel FLiPZ creates, every tutorial he writes, feels like territory we should have claimed first.

  The server user count keeps climbing. 35. 38. 42.

  That's what we wanted.

  Right?