Latest additions which concerns users?

[Bjorn Reese <breese@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In the latest version(s) there have been several added features which are
intented for normal users and which I have been unable to find any
documentation on.

A friend and I are in the process of documenting the differences between
various ircd distributions which affects clients [1]

!channels - They are supposed to be opless. Will it automatically have
some channel modes set? Exactly what features aren't possible on
!channels, that are possible on normal #channels? (channel modes, kicks,
topic, etc.) Furthermore, what was the motive for adding this type of
channel?

+I - Only documented as "+I (invitations)". Our perception is that this is
a list of people who can automatically join an invite-only channel mode --
a sort of "reversed ban list". Is this correct? If so what is the upper
maximum number of +I entries?

/invite overriding bans - I am really curious to hear why this was added. 
AFAIK, there is no way to detect if a banned user was invited, or simply
evading the ban (channel desync, netjoin.) This does not only apply to
scripts, but also to normal active chanops. 

+e - Is there any way to couple +e entries to +b entries? For example, if
*@*.com is banned, and an exception for user@machine.* is added, can a
chanop who didn't set these entries at a later time know that they belong
together? -- for instance, by seen the time they were added.

Is there any way for a client to detect what features the server supports?
I am not only thinking of the various ircd distributions used on various
networks, but also of "features" that becomes obsolete such as the
combined join and mode. It is increasingly difficult for client authors to
keep track of all the different added features that comes and goes.

[1] http://www.fts.frontec.se/~dast/irc/ircresearch.html