IRC ... Chatting in the Big World, How? Why? When?

Well, let's see, hmmmm.....

Now would be good!

• OK, let's say you are tired of chatting on AOL or Prodigy or wherever, and you have heard of some place called IRC (Internet Relay Chat) where you can talk to THOUSANDS of people from all over the globe!  It is true that such a "place" exists.  To go there and converse you will need a "client" program...and basically there are two that anyone uses.  The most popular, by far, is called mIRC, which was created by one guy.  Over the generations of mIRC evolutions, I personally have used more versions than I can count anymore.   mIRC is constantly being changed by it's author and every new version is snapped up by everyone, so you really must stay current, which I have not.

• Basically, mIRC allows you to "chat" in the traditional typewritten way within "servers" in IRC.  There are an infinite number of these servers, but the most popularly used are: EFNET,  Dalnet, Austnet (in Australia), and Undernet.  Each of them have different options, and usually in excess of 15,000 "rooms" at any given time.  Obviously the number of people is enormous, as each "room" holds an average of 15-40 people.   Now, the down side is --- this is the Internet that everyone carps about being so filled with porn and dangerous to children etc.  If one were to do a list of all the channels on a server at any given time (not a good idea in terms of the demands on your computer speed), THIS is the place where your eyes would be assaulted with names of channels like you would never find on AOL, etc.  This is the home of the smut channels, the bestiality channels, a host of cybersex channels that describe activities that seem physically impossible, and every kind of possible offering of pornographic materials you can possibly imagine (and some you can't).  HOWEVER, it is also the home to more information, help, assistance with any program you can imagine, the smartest, most up-to-date creative people, sound clips and pieces/parts for websites etc., and mIRC itself which has become a creative tool on an everyday basis.  So obviously, it's a choice.  One or two of you, I have taken there and taught a bit to, but generally speaking, it hasn't been widely accepted among my/your generation.  There are no hosts to get rid of annoying people, there is unrestricted language, and there is a steady stream of cutting edge technology to keep up with that is a little demanding if all you want to do there is talk to one another.  The environment can be hostile.

BUT

• If you are looking for adventure on the internet, new friends from New Zealand, fun with art or sound or music, and an unrestricted environment in which to chat, IRC is your place.

• mIRC is really a wonderful program.  From the beginning, when it gave us access to those IRC and Undernet servers and let us talk and see who all was there to the present day where it allows us to talk in living COLOR, display fully colored art to punctuate our conversation and even now accommodates animated art, not to mention sound clips and avis and live camera rooms (CuCme) where you talk while looking at the other person talking, it has changed with the times. 

• If you are interested in getting mIRC you can go to their HOME PAGE, download it and teach it to yourself like I did, using their FAQ and fairly informative files available on the WWW,

OR

• You can download the program, contact me by email, and I will teach you the basics and a few of the tricks you might want to access, and give you a few of the accessory tools that may help you protect yourself out there,

OR

• You can download the program, go to Dalnet and go to one of the newbie rooms like mIRChelp or mIRCinfo and one of the guides/ops/helpers in there will give you a few basics.  Caution: at times, they can be a bit terse.

• Anyway, I encourage everyone to experience IRC because without doing so, you really aren't using your computer to its fullest capacity, and you aren't informed when conversing about the Internet experience.  mIRC is my client of choice, but there is also another called PIRCH that many people prefer.   (actually it is a mIRC knockoff and imitator so they are wrong, but so be it).   mIRC changes fast.  When I first started to use it, it was Version 2.0, and within weeks it went through several versions and took us into the 3.0 and more.   Currently, I am using mIRC 5.2 but find that today the downloadable version is 5.4...such is life on IRC.  But do yourself a favor, and even if you need a guide, experience IRC and feel the expanse and power of the real Internet first hand.  Good luck!