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Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a real time text based communication network which is accessible from all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in addition to other Internet services such as the World Wide Web (WWW), Email and UseNet. IRC is one of the most popular and most interactive services on the Internet. Sure, the Web is nice for finding information and e-mail beats snailmail hands down, but when you've been wondering where the action is?, then IRC is what you're looking for. It allows people to 'talk' simultaneously in public and private channels and is used extensively by the FreddysHouse, community. It also allows file transfers between connected users but its main use is for chat, as the name implies. Meeting people. IRC is great fun and you'll sure meet lots of interesting people and find nice spots to hang out! But, IRC is not something that you should just jump into without first reading up on it. You could feel very lost if you do not know some basic commands before you enter IRC or it can be very frustrating for you when you get stuck. As in life, not all those who chat on IRC have something interesting to say, but some do, and many people have developed lasting friendships through IRC. The value of IRC depends on how you use it. IRC can keep you company when you can't sleep, contribute to family togetherness and cut your phone bill. It also can expose you to unpleasant behavior. Chats can get wild and woolly, and anyone (male or female) who takes on a female persona is likely to be hit on. There is indeed a great deal of sextalk, sleaze and garbage on IRC, and one should exercise caution in allowing children to access the IRC without supervision. But, as an adult, you are free to visit only the channels you choose, and there is also a great deal of positive communication going on. Take a look at some of the following resources: Internet Relay Chat is a great way to talk to people from all over the world about anything at all. On top of the latest world news there are many help related and tech support channels where you can get immediate assistance with perplexing computer related problems on the spot and in easy to read typewritten form. One of these you may be interested in is #Freddyshouse which is the IRC home for the FreddyHouse community. There are many IRC networks on the Internet. These are separate networks and they do not communicate with each other (although you can move between networks if necessary). FreddysHouse and many of its users are on the European QuakeNet IRC network. Each IRC network consists of a number of linked IRC servers. When you want to connect to QuakeNet you only need to connect to one of these IRC servers and anything you type in a chat channel will be mirrored to all the other servers in the network instantanously. Therefore people connected to other servers within QuakeNet and viewing the same channel as you will see your typed message as though you had a direct connection to them. There are two ways to connect. You can connect through a normal web browser using a specially prepared web page or using an IRC client. Connecting using an IRC client: A client is the software installed on your computer that knows how to communicate with IRC servers. Just as web browsing requires a WWW client such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator, browsing IRC requires an IRC client. You can download an IRC client from the following places:
Which server should I connect to? Using your IRC client you can connect to any server within a single IRC network. However, it is better to connect to one that is geographically close to your dialup location. Remember that each IRC server has a limited number of connections available so you may not always be able to connect to your server of choice. It is a good idea to have at least three server addresses recorded in your IRC client just in case a single server is full or is experiencing problems. Here are some suggestions for servers to connect to on QuakeNet:
Note that the number at the end of the server address is the port number. When configuring your IRC Client the port number will usually be entered into another box adjacent to the server address. So for irc.uk.quakenet.org:6667 the address is irc.uk.quakenet.org and the port is 6667. Getting connected. Where are the channels? Logging on: Once you have downloaded and installed an IRC client you can log on to an IRC server and talk away. The first thing you'll want to do is choose a nickname; everyone on IRC uses one. People will soon recognize you by your nick, or even search for your nickname on IRC. Choose your nick with care; it will be you. Finding a channel: It is not uncommon for an IRC server to have dozens, hundreds or even thousands of chat channels open simultaneously. There are some more or less permanent channels, but others come and go. Although a channel's name usually reflects the general nature of the conversation within, each channel can also have a specific topic. Channel names tend to remain constant, while topics change continuously. For example, in a channel called #PC_Users the topic might be Windows XP Bug Fixes one day and How to Choose a High Speed Modem the next day. You'll notice that all channel names begin with #. One popular and longstanding channel, for instance, is #freddyshouse. If you decide to wade in, just type: /JOIN #freddyshouse and voila, you're in. Typically another window will open on your IRC client. This is your view into the channel and you will have one window for each channel you connect to. Type in some greetings and you'll see them appear on screen, along with whatever everyone else types. You'll probably feel lost at first, since you're popping in on a conversation that's already in progress. In fact, several conversations may be going on at once. It would be great if you could get a list of all those channels containing only the funny, witty and wise, but you can't. Instead, you have to use the /LIST command, which lists all public channels, the number of users on each and a topic description for those that provide it. Channel topics are set by the person who creates or moderates the channel, called the channel operator or 'op'. If an operator is on the channel they will have a @ symbol next to their name. Chat participants can exchange ideas about common interests, making chat sessions an ideal means to hold forums and group discussions. For example, many businesses now hold scheduled chat sessions, wherein customers can chat with company representatives about a new product, or exchange technical information and advice. On IRC many people can simultaneously participate in discussions over a channel or even multiple channels. There are no limits to the number of people who can join a discussion and there is no limit to the number of channels that can be made. You are only limited by your typing speed. IRC can be fun and informative and is rapidly becoming one of the most popular areas of the Internet. And IRC will undoubtedly evolve over the next year or two with advancing technology. Unlike the World-Wide Web, which first-time users can pick up quickly, IRC may seem difficult the first time you log on. Once you've mastered a few basic commands, however, IRC becomes very easy to use. Remember that IRC commands are entered in the same box you use to type chat messages. The only difference is that commands are preceded by /. You've already used the /join command. Following are some more commands you can use: Private Conversations: The conversations are not limited to whats is going on public channels. You can have private conversations at the same time! If, lets say, you want to speak to Speedy privately, you can send type /MSG Speedy What do you say we hide in privacy for awhile?. The /MSG command will open a private conversation to Speedy. Temporary channels: If you want to open a new channel as an op just type /join #channelname. If this name does not already exist it will create a temporary channel where you are the operator (you will have the @ symbol next to you name). You can then invite other people to join your channel with /invite Speedy #channelname. If you want a channel to be persistent so that it doesn't disappear after the last person leaves it you will need a bot to protect it. Bots are discussed below. Other commands: Use /notify Speedy to be informed when Speedy logs on to the IRC network you are on. Type /me action to perform an action in a channel. For example if Speedy typed /me waves to you!, *Speedy waves to you! would appear in the channel. Type /quit to leave the channel (or close the channel window). You will also see a lot of people typing acronyms and smileys to reduce the amount of typing they need to do. A few of these are listed below:
A bot is used to keep a channel persistent and prevent unauthorised people getting operator status. For example #freddyshouse has a @^Freddy^ bot. Bots recognise authorised nicks and will give them operator status. The only bot available to clans on QuakeNet is Q. If you want Q in your channel you should read The Official QuakeNet Q-FAQ and follow the instructions there before joining channel #feds (the channel where the IRCops - IRC Network Operators - maintain an IRC support presence). If you want to find out more about IRC, you could visit the New IRC Users website for information on ettiquette on IRC, the commands and scripts you can use, as well as lots of tips and tricks and some troubleshooting information. Try to understand the IRC FAQ written by Helen Trillian Rose, read some IRC Intro's and dive into the Undernet FAQ. Keep in mind that some explainations are focussed on other than Windows specific IRC clients. Some of the info supplied should therefore be seen as general info on what IRC is and can do.
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