This page last updated: 97/06/03

IRC

I find that a highly pleasant pasttime for those such as myself with free internet and phone-line access is to `get on IRC'. This allows people from all around the world to `chat' together in a real-time fashion, sometimes for whole minutes, before the `splits' revert it to its natural state of pseudo-real-time.

What's it all about then?

If you're using Windows, then go to http://www.mirc.co.uk/ to download mIRC. This is the best program for the job. Once you've installed that, you're away.

Where should I look for you?

DALnet. IRC is separated into lots of networks, and that's the one I use. Just log on to any of the DALnet servers. I recommend these ones (in approximately the order I try them):

To log on to a server, just type (e.g.) "/server spider.DAL.net". If you typed the quotes, you're probably beyond hope. Try sending me a postcard.

What I don't recommend is liberator.DAL.net. It liberates you from having a sensible chat with anyone else. It is probably the worst server in the history of IRC. That's just a personal opinion. (I've heard that it's been disconnected recently. Hehehe.)

I've logged on. Now what do I do?

If you're lucky, it'll pop up with a box offering you a list of rooms (aka `channels'). You can choose any of them, but unless you choose #ircnewbies, you're unlikely to meet me or any of my IRC friends...

Would I know you if I saw you?

I expect so. The one to look out for is `varies'. If you see anyone called that, it's either me or an imposter. If it's an imposter you're in luck, because you can then have the same delightfully witty conversation again when you actually find me. If there's a cat with an unusually wide grin and a habit of vanishing, that could well be me too, but I suggest saving your insults until you've made sure.
This page was created by Tom Lynn. Comments etc. to: thl22@cam.ac.uk.

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