InternetRelayChat

Description

Commonly known as IRC. For help, try http://www.irchelp.org. -- SunirShah

One of the first widespread chat protocols (RFC 1459), forming the biggest international chat network today, based on open standards (as opposed to proprietary stuff like AIM, MSN-IM or ICQ). Chat servers are networked together, with distributed traffic. Used today for lightweight chat, customer support, developer collaboration, etc.

http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/rfc has more technical information.

See also: ChatLectures.

CategoryChat

Culture

It is interesting to consider some of the [things] that have evolved out of the basic system:

• ChannelBots:
  • chat bots
  • faq-bots
  • insult-bots
  • op-bots

• nick-servers, channel-servers to safeguard your nickname and channels for another day

• Vocabulary:
  • kickban
  • lag-monster
  • net-split

• The ever funny http://qdb.us/?random list of quotations.

#wiki

The IRC channel for wikizens is on irc.freenode.net, channel #wiki.

How to use an IRC client:

• fire it up (use e.g. x-chat for Linux/X11)
• /server irc.freenode.net
• /join #wiki
• talk ;)

wikibot

There are two ChannelBots in #wiki, one being the requisite security bot, and thus ignorable. The other is much more interesting. DeepakGoel wrote wikibot originally for #emacs, but he has gloriously made it run on #wiki as well. It's very sexy, having already learnt all about MeatballWiki. As an example:

    <Sunir> , InternetRelayChat
    <wikibot> InternetRelayChat -- [0] at http://www.usemod.com/cgi-bin/mb.pl?InternetRelayChat

It can also search Google!

    <Sunir> , "pet potato"
    <wikibot> [google]    http://www.ccmuseum.org/KidsPages/potatobug.htm

See EmacsWiki:ErBot for more fun with sexy wikibot.

I love you wikibot!

the lag-monster usually tossed me into the net-split