Looking for a place to chat online besides AOL and Yahoo! chat? Internet Relay Chat has been a popular vehicle for text-based chat online since the early 90’s, and has been around even longer than that. IRC networks allow people to gather in channels (which are analogous to chat rooms) and communicate via text in real time.
The world of Internet Relay Chat is organized by networks. An IRC network hosts channels, which people join in order to chat with each other. Users on the same IRC network may communicate either by joining the same channel, or exchanging private messages. Users on different IRC network cannot normally communicate with each other. There are many different IRC networks – some are small, and some are gigantic in terms of the number of users.
There are three things you need to do in order to get started with IRC:
- Choose an IRC client.
- Choose an IRC server and channel(s).
- Understand the basics of IRC.
Choose an IRC client
IRC is based on the client-server model. An IRC server is in charge of organizing all of the chat-related activity. You are the client – you use client software to connect to the IRC server, join a channel, and chat. IRC clients are available for every type of computer and operating system under the sun. To keep things simple, I will suggest just a few:
- PC: mIRC
- Mac: X-Chat Aqua
- Linux: uh, I’ll keep my mouth shut here. If you are using Linux, I am going to assume that you do not need my advice on any of this.
Choose an IRC server and channel
Now that you have an IRC client, you must figure out where you are going to chat. This means selecting an IRC network, and then choosing one or more channels in which to participate. Some well-known IRC networks include DALnet, Undernet, EFnet, and Freenode.
IRC networks host channels, which as I said, are analogous to chat rooms. Channel names are one word preceded by the pound sign. In most cases, the name of the channel pertains to its purpose. For example: #computers, #photography, #programming, #newyork, #dogs. On large networks, the common/popular channels will be well established and have many participants. On the other hand, joining #jkfdarirefds will most likely leave you chatting with yourself.
Understand the Basics of IRC
The interface of most IRC clients consists of three things: a main window, a list of users, and an input box. Server status messages and the chat activity of the active channel or private message appear in the main window. The user list shows the nicknames of all the people in the channel. The input box is where you type your messages, but is also where you enter commands in order to operate your IRC client.
Upon starting your IRC client, you must connect to an IRC server. Type /server [server], where [server] is the host name of the server you wish to use. Example: /server irc.dal.net. Hit enter, and wait for the server to accept your connection.
Once connected to a server, the nickname you are using may either be in use, or belong to someone else. If this is the case, type /nick [new nickname] to change it. Example: /nick johndoe. You may change your nickname at any time, even in the middle of a chat or private messaging session.
Finally, you must join a channel in order to start chatting. Type /join [channel], where [channel] is the name of the channel you wish to join. Example: /join #townsquare. All channel names are preceded by the pound sign. If you pop into a channel that is empty, type /part [channel] and try another.
Once you find a channel full of people, it is best to observe the exchange before jumping in. Every IRC network, and every channel, has its own culture. Some are welcoming, others are exclusive. Some will be filled with hundreds of people, while others are home to small groups who have frequented the same channel for years, and all know each other. Each channel also has its own set of rules, which may or may not be readily available. Finally, many networks give certain users the ability to exert control over their channels, and eject anyone they see fit to boot.
That’s it for the basics of IRC. With the small amount of information in this article, you are reading to start chatting. Grab yourself an IRC client and head off.
