I've been on IRC for like, ten years now. It hasn't made me a worse person. Perhaps a bit better.

But then I tend to keep well away from channels with shithead ops and networks with shithead admins. It's not a power game, and one should never abuse a position of responsibility for their own amusement. "/kick wanker STFU N00B!!!!1" all you want, but then you end up with browntongues and power fanboys.

And yeah, I'm not an american. Perhaps these stupid games are played by yanks. They tend to behave like rabid dogs in other ways too, after all.