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16 July 2005

IRC FAQ What should go in the FAQ? Here's my first rough draft but I'd like to hear what you think should be in there. If you use it and find it confusing or unclear then please let me know. All corrections are welcome.

I'll update this post as we go along.
[More:]

The chat channel is here:
    irc.slashnet.org    #metachat
or if your browser is configured to use irc links you can click here:
    irc://irc.slashnet.org/metachat

Quick start guide

This quick guide assumes you don't want to install any new software and that you don't want to do anything fancy, just get chatting as quickly as possible. So, here goes...

First click this link but don't forget to come back to this page for further instructions:
http://www.slashnet.org/java.php

Assuming you have Java installed you should now see a chat client with a whole bunch of intimidating blue text in it. Don't panic!

The first thing you need to do is set your nickname. You can do this by entering it in the nickname box top left and pressing enter. The last line of blue text will confirm you've changed your name. It's probably best to use the same name you use on the site or at least something similar so people know who you are.

The next thing is to connect to the chat room. There is a white bar at the bottom (just above where it says Private ->). Click in there and type /join #metachat and then press enter.

You are now in the channel. Anything you want to say to your fellow chatters can be said by typing into that white bar you just used. It's a good idea when you've just joined a room to alert everyone to your presence by saying hello. Just type in your greeting and press enter.

Once here you'll find that people are pretty helpful so if you have any questions, just ask.

It's a good idea to read about registering your name which will prevent others from using it and imitating you. Again, if you feel unsure how to do this then just ask in the channel.

It's worth noting when using this java client that when you run nickserv commands (as set out below) the reponses will appear in a Nickserv window that you'll only see when you click on the Nickserv button that appears at the bottom of the screen.

This Java client is OK for occasional use but you may find that if you're going to chat a lot then you'll want a better client. More on that later.


How do I register my name?

Type the following into the input box:
/nickserv register yourpassword youremailaddress

You must use a valid e-mail address as you will be mailed to confirm your details. It's also advisable not to use a password you would use on any other site, just something that's very simple and memorable. If you do forget the password then all you need to do is type the following into the input box:

/nickserv sendpass nickname

And the password will be sent to the email address you registered earlier

Everytime you start your chat session with your registered nickname you'll be asked to confirm your identity. To do this just type:

/nickserv identify mypassword

If the above commands don't work in your client then preface them with msg like so:
/msg nickserv identify mypassword

What Client Should I Use?

This depends on what OS you use and possibly what browser you use.

If you use Firefox or Mozilla on any OS then you can use Chatzilla which you ca install from here. It's easy to use, quite well integrated with the browser and completely free. Go to this link, click Install Now, restart your browser and then click on the #metachat link. If you use Opera then you already have a built in client.

On Windows a lot of people favour mIRC or Trillian. mIRC is shareware and therefore not a free product. Trillian is free. [opinions on these please?]

On Macs you might want to use Conversation, Colloquy or Snak.


What are the basics?

The first useful thing to know is that if you type the first few letters of a users nick name and then press tab it will autocomplete. That should save you some typing.

A useful command to know is /whois which well tell you more about a user. Simply type /whois nickname and you'll be provided with information on the user.

To change your nickname type /nick newnickname

If you want to perform an action such as falling off your stool then type /me falls off stool
I'm a newbie irc user, but Colloquy is what I'm using now, and liking it. (Plus, it's free.)
posted by papercake 16 July | 10:24
Great start dodgygeezer. The first thing that confused me was the registering the password part. Am I supposed to type: "/nickserv register yourpassword youremailaddress" in the same box that I'm posting stuff to the chatgroup? Wouldn't that show the others the password I want to use? Am I missing something obvious?

Also, am I correct that if I already have mIRC loaded on my computer I can skip the whole SlashNET and registering thing? Oh, I'm sure I'll have more questions (and maybe even an actual suggestion) as I tool around.
posted by Slack-a-gogo 16 July | 10:25
Colloquy is for Mac, btw.

As is ircle which, I keep reading, is The IRC program for the Mac. I'm going to try it out later.
posted by papercake 16 July | 10:29
/me falls off stool
posted by quonsar 16 July | 11:21
Still reeling from that bonfire and all the OFF!, q?
posted by Frisbee Girl 16 July | 11:24
Another couple of Mac irc programs are:

Snak: It isn't a very pretty interface, but it a very functional app.

and

Conversation: This is an ichat like application that is very easy to use - kind of like a "For Dummies" program.

There are also several options for browser based irc chatting options in java and cgi if anyone wants to put that together, for the people who may want to chat and are not able to (or want to) install anything, too.
posted by tog 16 July | 11:56
(To finish my thought, and not seem like I didn't read dodgy's info:) Not that the slashnet java page isn't useful, I just mean in case anyone wants to customize a page for users here to complement the MetaChat look itself.
posted by tog 16 July | 12:06
Very good, total n00b here, everything worked just fine. Thanks for the help.
posted by puddinghead 16 July | 12:51
Some people might wonder WHY you should register your nick. Maybe a small blurb about malicious impersonation would motivate the reluctant/lazy to take the trouble?
posted by agropyron 16 July | 13:01
Hey, tog, how about a step-by-step for using Conversation? Bite your tongue
posted by Cryptical Envelopment 16 July | 13:16
Great start dodgygeezer. The first thing that confused me was the registering the password part. Am I supposed to type: "/nickserv register yourpassword youremailaddress" in the same box that I'm posting stuff to the chatgroup? Wouldn't that show the others the password I want to use? Am I missing something obvious?
Generally speaking no. Not all clients support using /nickserv as an alias for /msg nickserv, though so if it doesn't work use /msg nickserv. Secondly - on Trillian and mIRC at least, there is a 'status' tab or window which shows the text of you joining the server, etc., and is seperate from a channel tab or window. Most clients have something along these lines. You can type all the registering commands in the status tab or window so that even if you goof up, you won't be goofing up in the #metachat channel window and thereby broadcast your password to the entire channel. We already had this happen once with Frisbee Girl (I could've been a little clearer in my instructions, in her defense).

Additionally, when you type "/msg [nick] blah blah blah" (sans quotes and brackets) you will, in most clients, create new window in which you can talk back and forth with them privately. Most clients also support just double-clicking on their nick on the nick list sidebar of a channel to in order create a new /msg window with that person.

Also, am I correct that if I already have mIRC loaded on my computer I can skip the whole SlashNET and registering thing?
I'm afraid not. Registering a nick with Nickserv on most IRC servers is almost exactly like creating an account for a website - down to receving an authentication code in the email. Everyone needs to do it once. After you've registered, though, all you need to do is identify with nickserv every session afterwards. What IS supported on mIRC is slashnet being listed on the common server networks connection list (Connect->Servers pane on the options dialogue), which, once you've filled out your nick details under the Connect pane (I suggest you falsify your Full Name field as almost 100% of all chatters do so) automates connecting to SlashNet for you.

Some people might wonder WHY you should register your nick. Maybe a small blurb about malicious impersonation would motivate the reluctant/lazy to take the trouble?
gister your nick, not only can someone change their nick to yours, they can also register it for themselves. This leads to other abuses besides simple impersonation (which I considered doing for the #metachat takeover but decided against in case someone referenced some bit of shared history I wasn't privvy to). The person who registers the nick can forcibly disconnect someone from the server - not just from the channel but actually sever their connection - by informing Nickserv that the current person holding that nick is simply an unterminated connection that hasn't pinged out yet. This is done via /msg Nickserv ghost [nick] [password] Lots of fun and abuse to be had by a nemesis (I've used this against Alex Reynolds . . . a LOT ) if you don't register your nick.
posted by Ryvar 16 July | 13:23
Shhh, Cryp. I use Conversation (after using Snak for years) because it is terribly easy and wasn't picking on anyone.
posted by tog 16 July | 13:28
I know! I just need to know how to have a use Conversation.
posted by Cryptical Envelopment 16 July | 13:33
Thanks for your help folks. I think I've finally wrangled it after a few false starts. I just have to remember that now that I've registered my nick I'm gonna have to start using my password right after. Unless of course I love the "Guest" nick followed by a bunch of numbers.
posted by Slack-a-gogo 16 July | 14:15
Note: If you use the Opera browser irc is built in.
posted by arse_hat 16 July | 15:52
Trillian is free. [opinions on these please?]
Trillian is excellent, expecially if you use IM and want to integrate lots of different stuff into one application. You can use it for AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo Messenger, and IRC all at once and integrate your buddy lists into one list. It does, however, take a bit more nouse to set up so may not be the best bet for complete novices.

If you like it, you can buy the Pro version for not much and it includes some nice features, but this is not necessary - the free version is fully operational. I like it.
posted by dg 17 July | 23:04
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