Internet Relay Chat

For directions on using Conservapedia's IRC channel, see Conservapedia:Using IRC

The graphical user interface of MIRC, the most popular Internet Relay Chat client.

Internet Relay Chat (or IRC) is one of the oldest protocols for online chatting and file sharing.

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:

• “Catalysts try to resolve problems, not through the use of authority and special privilege, but by fostering consensus, gently nudging participants in the direction of more appropriate behavior and by generally reducing the level of confrontation rather than confronting users with problems…[while] Channel and network administrators may be catalysts…[a]n important characteristic of successful catalysts is the infrequency with which they wear authority or invoke special privilege.” (February 23rd, 2007 by Donna "SportChick" Crawford)

Etiquette

• 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 flood a comment or question. Say it once, and wait a while.

Some IRC channels

• #conservapedia @irc.AccessIRC.net (Web client compatible)
• #wikipedia @irc.freenode.com

IRC Commands

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

• To get onto a server such as freenode.net

/server irc.freenode.net

• To join the channel

/join #conservapedia

• To change your nickname

/nick newnick

Rights management

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

/cs op #conservapedia nick

Or on AccessIRC

/op nick

• To deop on FreeNode

/dop #conservapedia nick

or on AccessIRC

/deop nick

Channel administration

• To set the topic

/topic new topic here

Software

HexChat, a newer free program based on XChat

To connect to an IRC server, some kind of software is needed. Command Prompt can be used, but GUI programs are generally preferred. Here are some popular ones:

• XChat (shareware)
  • PChat (uses same base as XChat, portable, free)
  • HexChat (uses same base as XChat, free)
• mIRC (shareware)
• IceChat
• NetIRC
• Visual IRC

See also

• Instant messaging

External links

• http://freenode.net/catalysts.shtml