#evolt IRC Primer
What is IRC?
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) has been around since about 1988. It's a real time talk system where people can gather together in various channels (think of them as virtual rooms) and talk about whatever interests them. Each channel has a name which usually outlines its main topic of conversation.
To participate in IRC you need a client program at your end (for example mIRC on Windows) and the details of the server you wish to connect to.
Channel Info
#evolt, the evolt.org IRC channel is hosted on the Freenode network. To connect all you need to do is point your IRC client at either irc.freenode.net or irc.evolt.org. If you're using a GUI IRC client then have a look at your clients documentation to find out how you connect to a server. If you're using a command line IRC client then type:
/server irc.evolt.orgBarring any major problems you will find yourself connected to one of the pool of freenode.net servers.
(Don't worry about what /server means right now. I'll explain IRC commands a little later).
Now What Do I Do???
Once you've connected to the server, you then need to tell it which channel you would like to join. To do that you type in:
/join #evoltand you should find yourself in the evolt.org channel.
To join in the conversation, just start typing. Everytime you hit enter, the line you've typed is echoed to the channel. Yep, it's that simple.
Interacting With The Server
As well as talking directly with the other people on the channel, you can also send the server special commands. These commands have a number of functions, but the one thing they have in common is that they all start with a '/'.
A full list of possible commands is beyond the scope of this intro, but here are some of the most common.
/me [action]-
Will result in your persona in the channel performing an action. For example,
would result in everyone in the channel seeing
/me scratches his nosegarrett scratches his nose /msg $username [message]-
Will send a private message to $username. Example:
would result in djc getting a private message from me saying
/msg djc hey! where's my beer gone?If djc wanted to reply in private he would address a /msg back at me.hey! where's my beer gone? /part [channel] [reason]- The /part command will cause you to leave the channel specified. If you tag on a reason then that reason will be echoed to the channel as you leave. Very important note: if you want to supply a reason for leaving, you have to supply the channel. Otherwise the server gets confused.
/quit [reason]- Similar to the /part command, but it will disconnect you from the server as well.
Netiquette
As with all the other digital media that you've been using (web, email, forums etc) IRC has its own list of rules that aid the communication process. A full list of them is beyond this introduction (see the list of further links at the end of this article) but suffice to say they're pretty similiar to the rules for thelist that we all know and love.
Just remember, there's a person on the other end of that nickname, so keep it friendly.
thebot
Now, when I said that there is a person on the other end of a nickname, that's not always strictly true. Allow me to introduce you to thebot.
thebot is #evolt's very own, ummm, bot. Bots are programs that sit in IRC channels and do helpful stuff (most of the time). thebot is based on the infobot code and so you should see that site for more complete instructions on what it can do. But here's a quick taster.
thebot, seen garrettc- thebot will return the last time I was on the channel and the last thing I said.
thebot, exchange 10USD to GBP- Convert 10 U.S. Dollars to U.K. Pounds (will work with any ISO currency codes).
thebot, evolt- Will return a list of the current evolt.org front page headlines
Further Reading & Links
About IRC
Software
Conclusion
IRC is an incredibly useful tool, and hell, it's fun too. I hope this primer has helped introduce you to IRC and that you'll pop into the channel and have a chat sometime. It's a great place to get a quick answer to that niggling HTML question, or even to just kill 30 mins over lunch.
Comments
IRC Nicks
Just in case you didn't pick it up from the article, my IRC nick is garrettc. So next time you're in #evolt, say hello.
With any luck, some of the other regulars will add their nicks to this article and introduce themselves (hint hint).
G.
IRC nick
I usually go by aardrian, but I'm not in there too much. If you see me, it's because something broke and I need immediate help, or work is insanely slow and I need a break from my co-workers.
IRC Nick
I usually go by (surprise), OKolzig37. Although lately I have been relegated to "cameo appearances only" due to this incredibly frustrating and boring game I have to play called "Real Life."
--Ben
IRC Nick
You can usually find me in the channel with the nick dotjeff. I'm there, whether lurking or participating from about 10am Pacific Time (-8 gmt) until around 10pm Pacific Time. If you message me in the channel and I don't respond immediately it probably means I'm concentrating on something and don't notice your message. Just private message me and I'll know you're there.
.jeff
Me too
I hang out in there frequently too... except when I'm really busy packing for my move or working on something that needs my 100% attention. I drop by for lunch and breaks on a regular basis tho. I'll often drop by after 11:00 p.m. EST to have a friendly chat before bed time. My nick is Mishka.
Nice article, btw, Garrett. Thanks for putting this together.
Mich
my nick is my name ...
no longer irc.openprojects.net
FYI, irc.evolt.org no longer points to irc.openprojects.net. It now resides on irc.freenode.net.
Also, I can be found wandering around under the pdeudonym Ferretboy. And if not that, then its usually judah.