full-disclosure - Why is IRC still around?

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Message-ID: <20041119205454.GB22245@sentinelchicken.org>
From: tim-security at sentinelchicken.org (Tim)
Subject: Why is IRC still around?

> 1) A hell of a lot of viruses/worms/trojans use IRC to wreck further havoc?

Isn't email the primary spreading mechanism of viruses?  should we
sunset email?

> 2) A considerable amount of "script kiddies" originate and grow through IRC?

And if there were no IRC, they would use AIM, or MSN messenger, or more
likely, jabber.  What's the difference?  It is popular amongst hackers
(of any level of morality) because it is open.

> 3) A wee bit of software piracy occurs?

And it doesn't on any other protocol?  People who want to pirate will do
it using whatever tools are available.  Take away one, and others will
be used.

> 4) That many organized DoS attacks through PC zombies are initiated through IRC?

It wouldn't be any harder to pull this off via netcat.  If it is the
anonymity an attacker wants, they just use one of the zombies as the
server.

> 5) The anonymity of the whole thing helps to foster all the illegal
> and malicious activity that occurs?

How is it any more anonymous than email, or web, or any other
unauthenticated protocol?  Please don't tell me you trust the From:
header in your email, or believe that all of the IPs in your weblogs are
directly tied to a person's home PC.

> The list goes on and on...

Yes, but every one of those arguments is horribly flawed.  I am not sure
if you are just being a troll or what.

> Sorry to offend those that use IRC legitimately (LOL - find something
> else to chat with your buddies), but why the hell are we not pushing
> to sunset IRC?
> 
> Am I narrow minded to say that it would be a much safer place?

yes, you are being narrow-minded.

tim