Lecture Twelve: Reading (URL) - Chat Room Primer

How does IRC work?
Internet relay chat is where people can communicate at the same time with people all over the world. Seperate networks of IRC servers. Once connected to an IRC server on an IRC network, you will usually join one or more "channels" and converse with others there.

Some details
Channel names usually begin with a #, as in #irchelp . The same channels are shared among all IRC servers on the same net, so you do not have to be on the same IRC server as your friends. (There are also channels with names beginning with a & instead of a #. These channels are not shared by all servers on the net but exist locally on that server only.) Others can view your 'nick' eg. Wallydog. To avoid conflict among others use a less common name eg. Ben is a bad choise. Channels are run by channel operators, or just "ops" for short, who can control the channel by choosing who may join (by "banning" some users), who must leave (by "kicking" them out), and even who may speak (by making the channel "moderated")! Channel ops have complete control over their channel, and their decisions are final. If you are banned from a channel, send a /msg to a channel op and ask nicely to be let in (see the /who command in the next section to learn how to find ops). If they ignore you or /who gives no response because the channel is in secret mode (+s), just go somewhere else where you are more welcome.

Talking and entering commands
Commands and text are typed in the same place. By default, commands begin with the character / .

What you type
What happens
/join #coolness: You join the channel #coolness.
/who #coolness: Gives some info on users in the channel.@ = channel op, while * means IRC op.
hello everyone: Everyone on #coolness sees hello everyone. (You need not type in your own nick.)
/me is a pink bunny: Everyone in #coolness sees * yournick is a pink bunny
/leave #coolness: You leave the channel.
/whois Tomm: You get some info about Tomm or whatever nickname you entered.
/whois yournick: This is some info others see about you.
/nick newnick: Changes your nick to "newnick"
/msg Tomm hi there.: Only Tomm sees your message (you don't need to be on the same channel for this to work).
/ping #coolness: Gives information on the delay (round-trip) between you and everybody on #coolness.
/ping Tomm: Gives information on the delay (round-trip) between you and just Tomm.

Where to go
You can learn a lot by joining a channel and just listening and talking for a while. For starters, try these channels: #new2irc, #newuser, #newbies, or #chatback. Busier alternatives include: #chat, and #ircbar.

Smileys and jargon
:-) is a smiley face, tilt your head to the left to see it. Likewise, :-( is a frown. ;-) is a wink. :~~( is crying, while :-P is someone sticking their tongue out. :-P ~~ is drooling. (-: a lefty's smile, etc. There are hundreds of these faces.
Here are some common acronyms used in IRC: brb = be right back bbiaf = be back in a flash
bbl = be back later ttfn = ta ta for now
np = no problem imho = in my humble opinion
lol = laughing out loud j/k = just kidding
re = hi again, as in 're hi' wb = welcome back
wtf = what the f--k rtfm = read the f--king manual
rotfl = rolling on the floor laughing

IRC server problems, and choosing a server
At this point, you are ready to "chat" on IRC. For the most part, the commands above should suffice for beginners, but things can go wrong in IRC.
Net splits
Networks can become divided (called a "net split"), thus separating you from users you had been speaking with. These splits are often relatively short, though common some days.
Lag
A more frequent problem is "lag", where there is a noticeable delay between the time you type something in and someone else reads it. Choosing a server near you is one way to try to lessen lag. Lag can be measured by using the /ping command (see the commands section above). Once you find a better server, the command for changing servers is /server server.name.here.
Server Lists
On most clients, typing /links gives a list of servers on your current net. Use this command sparingly, no more than a couple times in a row, or you may mistaken for a "link looking" troublemaker.
Ping? Pong!
mIRC users: Ping? Pong! in the status window just means your server pinged you to make sure you were still connected, and your client automatically replied with a pong. Don't worry about these.
Reminder about DCC chat
The /dcc chat command can be used to establish a one-on-one connection that avoids lag and will not be broken by a net split! Check your docs for usage info. In most clients, you can set up a DCC chat connection by both typing /dcc chat nick_of_other_person. To talk through that connection, type /msg =nick whatever (note the = sign). In mIRC, you can also start a DCC chat session by selecting DCC and then Chat from the menu and then entering the nick of the user with whom you wish to chat. A window opens for that dcc chat session.

A word of warning
IRC scripts are sets of commands that your client will run. Many otherwise good scripts have been hacked so that if you load them, you can seriously compromise your security (someone can get into your account, delete all of your files, read your mail, etc.). There are also evildoers who try to send people viruses and other bad things. Just like in real life, don't accept anything from a stranger. There have been many incidents of this type, not just a few. Do not ever run a script unless you know what each line does, not even if it is given to you by a friend, as your friend may not have the expertise to detect well-hidden "trojans".