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'''Internet Relay Chat''' (or '''IRC''') is one of the oldest [[protocol]]s for online chatting and file sharing.

'''Internet Relay Chat''' (or '''IRC''') is one of the oldest [[protocol]]s for online chatting and file sharing.

Some collaborative projects use it to facilitate communication between project members. [[Wikipedia®]] and [[Conservapedia]] both use '''freenode''' (chat.us.freenode.net) as their IRC server.

Some collaborative projects use it to facilitate communication between project members. For example, [[Wikipedia]] uses '''freenode''' (chat.us.freenode.net) as its IRC server, and Conservapedia uses AccessIRC (irc.accessirc.net)

The philosophy of IRC and of collaborative projects in general seems to mesh:

The philosophy of IRC and of collaborative projects in general seems to mesh:

==Etiquette==

==Etiquette==

* Never ask before [[pming]] a staffer - you'll run out of allowed questions too quickly.

* Never ask before [[pming]] a staffer - you'll run out of "allowed questions" too quickly.

* Don't enter a channel, ask a question, then give up and leave a minute later.  Wait around a while, since users often idle in channels; your question will be seen and hopefully answered eventually.

* Don't enter a channel, ask a question, then give up and leave a minute later.  Wait around a while, since users often idle in channels; your question will be seen and hopefully answered eventually.

[[Image:Mircscreenshot.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The graphical user interface of ''MIRC'', the most popular Internet Relay Chat client.]]

[[Image:Mircscreenshot.jpg|400px|thumb|right|The graphical user interface of ''MIRC'', the most popular Internet Relay Chat client.]]

==Some IRC channels==

==Some IRC channels==

* #conservapedia

* #conservapedia @irc.AccessIRC.net

==IRC Commands==

==IRC Commands==

Most clients still use the old slash commands of irc. Here are a few.

Most clients still use the old slash commands of irc. Here are a few.

#To get onto freenode.net

#To get onto a server such as freenode.net

#*/server irc.freenode.net

::<code>/server irc.freenode.net</code>

#To join the channel

#To join the channel

#*/join #conservapedia

::<code>/join #conservapedia</code>

#To change your nickname  

#To change your nickname  

#*/nick ''newnick''

::<code>/nick ''newnick''</code>

#To op someone This will only work if you are op(erator of the channel) at the time

#To share op with someone, as on op(erator of the channel) on FreeNode

#*/cs op #conservapedia ''nick''

::<code>/cs op #conservapedia ''nick''</code>

#to deop

#*/dop #conservapedia ''nick''

#To deop on FreeNode

::<code>/dop #conservapedia ''nick''</code>

#To set the topic

#To set the topic

#*/topic new topic here

::<code>/topic '''new topic here'''</code>

==Software==

==Software==

To connect to an IRC server, you need some kind of program.  [[Command Prompt]] can be used, but [[Graphic User Interface|GUI]] programs are generally preferred.  Here are some popular ones:

To connect to an IRC server, you need some kind of program.  [[Command Prompt]] can be used, but [[Graphic User Interface|GUI]] programs are generally preferred.  Here are some popular ones:

*[http://xchat.org XChat]  

*[http://xchat.org XChat] (shareware)

** [http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/pchat_portable PChat] (uses same base as XChat, portable, '''free''')  

** [http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/pchat_portable PChat] (uses same base as XChat, portable, '''free''')  

** [https://hexchat.github.io/ HexChat] (uses same base as XChat, '''free''')

** [https://hexchat.github.io/ HexChat] (uses same base as XChat, '''free''')