best IRC Server

[Newby]

Who cares if somebody impersonates you? It's IRC, just log on as yourname_ and prove that someone else is using your nick. Shouldn't be too hard, nobody has your passwords that way.

[mynameistmp]

My favourite server is EFnet.

Edit: Yes, what Kp said, showing off IP, too

Unrealircd includes modules (by default) that use 3 user-configured cloaking keys to mangle users' hosts. Only the server can then decipher the hostname. This is only done if the proper usermode is set (+x). It is by default.

http://www.vulnscan.org/UnrealIrcd/unreal32docs.html#feature_cloaking

What's the point of having accounts if they don't require passwords?

Services for that: http://www.epona.org/

Yes I knew that they didn't before my post, but according to RFC 1459 passwords if used are sent in plain text

That's what SSL connections are for:

Public key algorithm: rsaEncryption (1024 bits)
---   Public key algorithm uses ephemeral key with -1073744936 bits
---   Sign algorithm md5WithRSAEncryption (0 bits)
---   Valid since Aug 27 08:47:37 2004 GMT to Aug 27 08:47:37 2005 GMT
--- * Cipher info:
---   Version: TLSv1/SSLv3, cipher AES256-SHA (256 bits)
--- * Verify E: self signed certificate.? (18) -- Ignored
--- Connected. Now logging in..

Note that now, not only are passwords sent encrypted, but ALL information including chat is encrypted. The data is not decrypted until it reaches the clients, the server cannot intercept. Servers that allow secure/non-secure connections and the ability to create secure connection only (+z) channels as a regular user offer flexible solutions to creating privacy for picky individuals while allowing other users to opt out and just use general chat.