I fail to see why ignorance of "standard" features is dangerous for new IRC users. When I first started using my first IRC client, which happened to be Pirch, I had no idea of what it contained. Sorry to say, but your second argument answers the first one in every detail. Soul eater has a bit of growing up to do.
Hitting the last sentence first - yes, I agree, a bit of growing up is an obvious necessity for Soul_Eater.
Onto the other comments - I never said "shouldn't be allowed on IRC" - I said "shouldn't be on IRC"
Meaning that they can if they want to but for their own concerns, until they are more aware of common computer functions and features, they should refrain from using it. All it takes is for someone who is not computer savvy to be in there, be told to type something (and they do it, not realizing that computers can be their worst enemy when they are not careful).. Then suddenly they are getting hacked, credit card or other personal info is getting obtained and their life is turned upside down.
You made a comment about refusing to let someone drive just because they don't know how to work the A/C.. Let's flip that around some.. Someone who doesn't even know the street signs or some of the more obvious rules of the road (obeying the speed limit, following 2+ seconds behind the vehicle in front of you, etc).. Ignoring the obvious danger they would present to other people, and only paying attention to their self inflicted danger.. Wouldn't you agree that they shouldn't be driving until they learn a little more about how dangerous things can be and how to read the signs or some of the less obvious signs?
True, even the best of drivers make mistakes, but as with using things like IRC, it's not something you should just hop into and start doing without some sort of understanding first.
Again, *I* never said that newbies shouldn't be allowed - only that they shouldn't be on IRC - for their own safety, not as a form of punishment.
