Add seven 1.1.8 announcement

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+---
+author: edk
+date: 2019-06-17 10:15:00+00:00
+slug: seven-118
+title: ircd-seven 1.1.8
+category: freenode
+category: announcements
+---
+
+Hi all,
+
+We're preparing to release version 1.1.8 of ircd-seven and deploy it to the
+production network over the coming weeks.
+
+This release incorporates a number of user-facing changes:
+
+ - [Monitor][monitor] is restored to a usable state, and will be re-enabled.
+ - Spam filtering can be opted-out of. Setting mode `+u` on yourself (
+   `/umode +u` or `/mode yournick +u`) will disable filtering for messages
+   sent to you. Setting it on a channel will disable filtering for all
+   messages sent to that channel.
+ - `/motd` and `/stats` are no longer ratelimited unless directed at a
+   specific server.
+
+We're also introducing support for several IRCv3 features that may improve the
+experience on capable clients:
+
+ - [Away Notifications][away-notify] are supported.
+ - [CHGHOST][chghost] is supported.
+ - [Strict Transport Security][sts] and [STARTTLS][tls] are enabled. (We know
+   STARTTLS is deprecated and a bit out of date, but we'd still like to get
+   as many people as possible using TLS one way or another.)
+ - [Userhosts in NAMES][userhost-in-names] is supported.
+
+There's one more change that is not related to this release, but deserves
+mention: nearly two years ago, we developed an improvement to the `+z` channel
+mode, which sends messages that would have been blocked by `+q` or `+m` to
+channel operators instead. Our new version sends these messages to ops from the
+`@`-prefixed version of the channel:
+
+```
+:e!e@freenode/staff/spy.edk PRIVMSG @#test :I'm quieted
+```
+
+to make it easier for operators to distinguish between messages everyone can see
+and messages they can see due to `+z`.
+
+This borrows the syntax from an existing feature, [STATUSMSG][statusmsg], but
+is easy to tell apart from it, because only ops can send to `@channel`
+normally.
+
+We gated this behind a feature switch, and we've been waiting, largely
+passively, for client support to increase. It appears that everyone who wants to
+act on warnings has done so, and we'd like to commit to a date to enable it.
+
+**We'll be enabling this feature on the 31st of July 2019, UTC.** If you op a
+channel that uses `+z`, please make sure your client handles it correctly.
+You can send test messages by using `/msg @#channel test` using a second opped
+connection for any channel where you have ops—your client should associate
+this message with `#channel`, and preferably distinguish it from normal
+messages in some way.
+
+Thanks for using freenode, and I look forward to collaborating with many of
+you via a slightly less-antiquated medium.
+
+[monitor]: https://ircv3.net/specs/core/monitor-3.2
+[away-notify]: https://ircv3.net/specs/extensions/away-notify-3.1
+[chghost]: https://ircv3.net/specs/extensions/chghost-3.2
+[sts]: https://ircv3.net/specs/extensions/sts
+[tls]: https://ircv3.net/specs/extensions/tls-3.1
+[userhost-in-names]: https://ircv3.net/specs/extensions/userhost-in-names-3.2
+[statusmsg]: https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-hardy-irc-isupport-00#section-4.18