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Table of contents Introduction Programs Usage Tips UNIX IRC |
Hey, Aren't We Ever Going to Do Some Chatting?
Oh, all right, we stalled as long as we could. After you have joined a channel, everything that people on the channel type appears in the window. Whenever someone joins or leaves a channel, a message is sent to all remaining participants; when you join a channel, everyone else immediately knows that you're a participant. Stuff that people type is preceded by their nickname, as shown in this example:<JoeBlow> But what do you do with the woodchucks after
you catch them?
mIRC displays a list of people in the channel on the right side of the channel's window so that you can tell whom you're up against.
Can I say something?
When you want to say something, make sure that your cursor is blinking in the box at the bottom of the channel window (click in the box if it's not). Then type your message and press Enter.
Staying out of trouble
Here are some rules of IRC netiquette:- When you join a channel, listen for a few minutes until you pick up the thread of the conversation (or conversations). Don't immediately start saying "Hello!" to everyone.
- Don't use all capital letters; it's similar to shouting.
- Speak (type) the language that's appropriate for the channel and on the topic the channel is about (if any).
- Don't send inane messages, such as "Does anyone want to talk?" If you want people to talk to you, say something interesting. It doesn't have to be exactly erudite -- "What about those Mets!" or "Cold enough for you?" should do. "I'd like to talk about movies" or "Anybody like cooking?" would be good, too.
- If you have something to say to someone that isn't of general interest to the group, send it privately (see the section "Can we have a little privacy?" later in this chapter).
- Don't flood (send lots of messages real fast so no one else can get a word in edgewise).
Tip: Some people have a @ at the beginning of their nickname. These are channel operators, or chanops, or ops. Be nice to them: Channel operators can kick you off the channel if you don't behave.
Commanding IRC
In addition to the buttons in mIRC, you can type commands. Commands start with a /, and you type them in the same box at the bottom of a channel window where you type messages for the channel. Rather than use the Channels folder or List channels buttons, for example, you can join a channel by using the /join command, like this:/join #dummies
(This example assumes that you want to join the #dummies channel.) You can change your nickname using the /nick command, like this:
/nick MegsMom
This command changes your nickname to MegsMom.
To get more information about the people in a channel, use the /who command, like this:
/who #dummies
The Status window (not the channel window, for some reason) shows the result of the /who command, with one line per person. The line for you includes the name and e-mail address you typed when you set up mIRC.
Who's out there?
To find out more about someone, type/whois nickname
You type the person's nickname, not the word nickname. The result
appears in the Status window and includes the person's e-mail address,
the channel (or channels) the person is on, and which IRC server
you're connected to. After you know the person's e-mail address, you
can finger that person (that is, ask the person's Internet provider
for personal info) by clicking the Finger an address button on the
toolbar (the tenth button from the left, with a hand on it), choosing
Tools
Finger from the menu, or pressing
Alt+G. You see in the Status window whatever information is available,
which can include the person's name and other information.
Finger commands to see what other IRCers can
find out about you. Some Internet providers include your home phone
number and other personal information in their finger
information. Work or school accounts may include your department,
dorm, or other personal information. If you meet some creep on IRC,
you may not want him or her to be able to call you!
Take some action
You can send messages that describe what you're doing or what you want the folks in your channel to think that you were doing. You use the /me command, like this:/me smiles slyly
The line appears like this (assuming that your nickname is ZacsMom):
* ZacsMom smiles slyly
Can we have a little privacy?
IRC lets you send messages directly to individuals and to channels. To send a message to an individual, assuming that you know her nickname, you type this command:/msg nickname your personal message here.
A message to Johnny, for example, looks like this:
/msg johnny Can you believe how dumb that guy is?!!!
You can also converse privately with someone. When you type /query followed by the nickname of someone in your channel, the subsequent lines you type are sent to only that person. If someone uses a /query command with your nickname, mIRC opens a new window for your private conversation with the person. When you type /query with no nickname (or close the window), you're back to normal, sending lines to your current channel.
A more private (privater?) way to converse is via DCC -- Direct Client Connections. You don't have to be on the same channel as the person you want to talk to; you just have to know the person's nickname. You type this line (assuming that you want to talk to Freddie):
/dcc chat freddie
When someone tries to start a DCC chat with you, mIRC asks whether you want to chat with the other person. If you click Yes, mIRC opens a window for the discussion. Your DCC chat window is just like a minichannel with only two people in it.
Enough, Already!
You can leave a channel you tire of by typing /leave or closing the channel's window in the usual Windows manner (by clicking its Close button in Windows 95 or by double-clicking its upper left corner in Windows 3.1). Then you can join another channel or exit. To exit, choose FileExit from the menu.
