CMSY129 Principles of the
Internet
IRC
To use IRC, you need a client application, such as mIRC, which can be downloaded here and installed on your computer: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/6000/.
Once it's installed, connect to your ISP, open mIRC, and click on the lightning bolt icon. The client will automatically connect you with a server - or you can select one under File | Setup.
Highlight one of the undernet servers and hit the Connect! button to log onto IRC space. You'll get a lot of text on the screen welcoming you to the site, if you connect successfully:
To get a list of all the channels currently online, type "/list" in the bottom line of the screen, and then hit Enter. You'll get a really long list like this one:
You can also establish a new channel, by typing in a name that isn't already used on the Channel List, under Channel | Join.
Then you'll get the IRC screen:
Your name will appear in the right column, as will other names of people logged onto that channel. Anyone who logs onto an undernet server and joins that channel will be able to talk to you on the IRC. Simply type what you want to say in the bottom line, hit Enter, and your words will appear on the screen.
There are a lot of bizarre and raunchy channels on the IRC. Don't let it bother you. If they're not for you, just keep your distance.