IRC channel operator
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An IRC channel operator (commonly abbreviated to op) is a person that runs an IRC channel on a given IRC network. They are responsible for maintaining the modes of the channel, the banlist, and are responsible for kicking out people that do not behave.
The person that first created a channel automatically gets operator status, and is later referred to as the channel founder, which usually gives them further privileges on networks with ChanServ. Existing channel operators can set user modes on other users and also make them operators by setting the +o mode.
Some servers feature halfops. These users are privileged in a certain channel, though not as powerful as ops. Halfops may kick other users out of the channel and set most channel modes. They are not allowed to make other users ops or halfops. This is supported on IRCds such as UnrealIRCd. Other IRCds such as Bahamut (DALnet) do not have halfops.