What are IRC Operators?
IRC Operators take care of the day-to-day maintenance of the IRC network, solving problems users might have with either nickserv or chanserv, as well as enforcing network rules. They can disconnect anyone from the network (temporarily, or more permanently), and have more access than regular users (for example, they can override channel modes such as +i, +b, +k, etc). They can also see detailed information about channels and nicks. However, it’s a common misconception that IRCops (or opers, as they are sometimes refered to) can spy on channels. This is simply not true. Opers can’t see what’s being said in a channel without actually being in it, and you’ll always be able to see them if they’re in the channel. It is generally a Bad Idea(tm) to argue with, poke, or feed IRC operators.
