|
With this IRC Intro file we try to introduce IRC to people using
MS Windows. It is assumed you have an Internet Provider and you
have some experience with using winsock programs. This intro file
focuses on IRC itself. It will not go into details about installing
or configuring the programs you need to use IRC, but if you ever
managed to install and use programs like WS- FTP, Netscape, Eudora,
WS-Archie, Mosaic, WinVN, FreeAgent or similar programs, you will
not have any trouble understanding how to install and use an IRC
program (client). Most IRC programs, especially the popuplar and
better ones, are distributed with excellent help files on setting
up and installing these programs. Some very good FAQ's on IRC already
exist but they are often written around UNIX based IRC clients,
and handle problems and give examples you will never need on a Windows
based IRC client. That is why this IRC Intro file is made. We hope
you will enjoy IRC!
(1) What is IRC?
IRC stands for "Internet Relay Chat". It was originally written
by Jarkko Oikarinen in 1988. Since starting in Finland, it has been
used in over 60 countries around the world. IRC is a multi-user
chat system, where people meet on "channels" (rooms, virtual places,
usually with a certain topic of conversation) to talk in groups,
or privately. There is no restriction to the number of people that
can participate in a given discussion, or the number of channels
that can be formed on IRC.
(2) How is IRC set up?
As a user you run a "client" program which connects to a "server"
in an IRC network. All servers are interconnected and pass messages
from user to user over the IRC network. One server can be connected
to several other servers and up to hundreds of clients. Several
larger and smaller IRC networks exist. The largest one, called EFnet
(Eris Free net), usually serves over 15000 users at any given moment.
Smaller ones, like Undernet (10000) and Dalnet (5000), are a lot
less populated but often offer more stability and convenience.
(3) What does a client do? What is the purpose of a server?
An irc client reads in the commands and text that you supply to
it, and parses them. It filters them and performs the appropriate
actions, and if necessary, passes them on to your IRC server. An
IRC server can serve many other clients. The server holds information
about the channels and people on IRC, as well as other pieces of
information, and is also responsible for routing your messages to
other users. The IRC network itself consists of multiple servers
which are all connect to each other.
(4) How do I get on IRC?
First, you have to make sure an irc client is installed on your
system. If you do not have one you should ask your local system
admin to install a client on your PC or local area network. If you
have a stand-alone PC with internet acces you have to obtain and
install a client yourself. (dont worry ..its easy!)
(5) Where can I find an IRC client?
Popular IRC clients (in no particular order) : mIRC, Virc and Pirch.
You can get an IRC client by anonymous ftp from several sites (use
the one closest to you) If you are not familiar with ftp, ask your
network provider or local network guru for assistance. You can also
access these FTP sites with your web browser! FTP sites are for
instance;
ftp.undernet.org/pub/irc/clients/windows/
cs-ftp.bu.edu/irc/clients/pc/windows/
papa.indstate.edu/winsock-l/winirc/
Maybe it is easier for you to use your web browser to visit one
of the worldwide available archives with Internet programs. Go to
one of them and use 'IRC' as a search term. Please take your time,
do zome reading, and make sure to download the program you like;
You can also visit the programs' World Wide Web pages to download
the clients;
All major FTP sites have some /windows/irc/ directory that you
can check for IRC programs. Once you have downloaded, installed
and run a simple IRC program, it is easy to ask for and get (!)
a better one on IRC! Just go to one of the Help channels and ask
what the best IRC program is.
(6) What else do I need before I can install an IRC client?
Besides running MS-Windows you need to have a properly installed
WINSOCK. If you can use FTP, E-mail, News or other Internet programs
from within Windows already, you can safely assume you have a winsock
installed and it is working properly. If you do not have a properly
working winsock installed on your PC you should install one first.
(7) How do I install this client that I found?
Most programs on the internet are transported in a compressed form.
The better programs come in self extracting .exe files that also
install the program for you. Sometimes you first have to unzip the
file to be able to run the program in it. A good unzipper is winzip. Once unzipped, installing an IRC
client (like any program) is mainly a matter of running its setup
program or simply placing the files in a separate directory and
running the program. After installation, you may have to specify
some personal information before you can connect to an IRC server.
For detailed instructions read the help files included in the programs
(typically a .hlp file or readme.txt). Some IRC clients, like mIRC,
have their own FAQ that provides detailed help. Reading such FAQ's
is highly recommended!
(8) What do I have to fill in in the client's Setup menu?
The first time you run your IRC client program you have to fill
in some information about yourself, such as, your Internet address
and the IRC server with which you want to connect. Your client may
also have a section for you to specify the port, password, real
name, email address, nickname(s), IP address and Local Host name.
These options are usually found under File/Setup/.
(9) Which server should I connect my client to?
It's usually best to try and connect to a geographically close
server, even though that may not always be the best. Local (nearby)
servers will normally work faster for you and will give you unrestricted
access. You can always ask for suggestions on nearby server addresses
when you log on to IRC.
(10) What is the port number to use to connect to IRC?
In general, the port number to use is 6667. Some, but not all,
servers listen to other ports (most commonly in the 6665-6670 range).
When in doubt, select port 6667 (Dalnet usually uses port 7000).
A port number should be seen as an entrance to a server. If you
take the wrong entrance (port) the server will not understand what
you are doing, and will disconnect you.
(11) Do I need a password to connect to irc?
Normally you do not need a password to use an IRC server. Most
servers allow anonymous access. If you do not have a password for
an IRC server then leave the password entry field blank. If you
are prompted for a login or password and you dont know what to type,
try to connect to another server.
(12) Do I have to give my real name?
No, you do not -have- to give your real name. However, simply filling
in nonsense will not make you anonymous. IRC is not inteded to keep
you hidden from your friends or enemies. Keep this in mind if you
are tempted to behave maliciously. A fake "real name" can be a good
way to mask your gender from all the nerds out here ;o) but the
PC you use can always be traced so you will never be truly anonymous.
(13) Do I have to fill in my E-mail address in the setup?
Assuming you have an E-mail account somewhere you should fill in
the address you can be reached at by mail. In case you do not have
an E-mail address you can just fill in your name.
(14) What is a nickname?
On IRC you are known to others by a nickname. You are free to choose
any nickname you like, up to 9 characters long. Do not use spaces
and avoid unusual ASCII characters in your nickname. It is also
very common to find people that use the same nickname and you may
be asked or choose to switch nicknames to avoid confusion.
(15) What is my IP Address?
Your IP Address is the address your PC uses on the Internet. It
is usually a set of 4 numbers or its equivalent IP Name. Some providers
offer you a unique IP Address (static IP) or they assign a different
one every time you connect (dynamic IP) to them. With Dynamic IP
addresses you have to make sure your client automatically looks
up your current IP Address and your Local Host name each time you
connect to IRC.
(16) What is my Local Host name?
The Local Host name is the name you or your provider assigned to
your PC. It can be a single word or a name equivalent to your IP
Address.
(17) I tried to connect to a server and received a "Connection
refused," "Connection timed out" or "Unknown host" message.
First of all, always try some other IRC servers when you are unable
to access your favorite one. The server, its machine or the route
to the server may just be down or broken. When using a new server
name you should make sure a server with the specified name actually
exists. The server name you specified could be wrong. If the server
exists, you can then try the numeric address of the server rather
than its symbolic one (e.g 131.174.124.9 for irc.sci.kun.nl). This
will solve problems if your Domain Name Server is down, slow, does
not understand the name you gave it or cannot translate it into
a numeric address.
(18) When I connect I get a "Not enough user parameters" error?
A "Not enough user parameters" error will occur if you try to connect
to a server but you did not have the Local Host name filled in,
or had it filled in incorrectly. Check your entry in your client's
setup menu. Also check if you supplied your client with a valid
E-Mail address.
(19) How do I solve the "You haven't registered" error?
This is a server message to you, it has nothing to do with registering
or paying for your IRC client. If you receive this message or if
you get disconnected very quickly, your Local Host name or IP Address
may be wrong, or not filled in at all. Look in your client's setup
dialog and check if the Local Host is correct and if the IP Address
is filled in correctly. An easy way to solve an incorrect IP Address
is to set the 'On connect, always get' "IP Address" and "Local Host"
to "ON" and restart your client. If this does not help you could
be trying to connect to a NON-public server. Try another server
to be sure.
(20) I get disconnected at startup.... What does "*** Ghosts
are not allowed on IRC." mean? What does "*** You are not welcome
on this server." mean?
"Ghosts are not allowed on IRC" means that you are banned from
using that server. You cannot be completely banned from IRC. Banning
exists only on a per-server basis (being banned on one server does
not mean you are automatically banned from another). When you're
banned you can not use a server. Alternatively IRC servers can accept
you under resticted access only. Banning is in one of three forms:
* You are banned specifically, you yourself. Only you can be responsible
for this (if you are using a shared account or dynamic IP addressing,
this obviously does not apply). The responsibility lies completely
with you and you have no one to complain to.
* Your machine is banned. Chances are, you did committed no wrongdoing.
Try using another machine on the network if you have one and seeing
if you can use that particular irc server.
* Your whole site is banned (where "site" is a "school", "company",
"country" or "provider"). This almost certainly is not your fault.
Chances of geting the server-ban lifted are slim. Try using another
server.
The most general answer is "use another server", but if it bothers
you, try writing to the irc administrator of that site (type /admin
servername). Be polite in explaining your case.
(21) What is K-lined? Why can't I connect to certain IRC servers?
Why do some servers disconnect me?
Some servers restrict access to local users and might therefore
close or not even accept a connection from you. Bad behavior by
you or your friends, customers from your provider or an entire country
may also be restrcited from using certain servers. In each case,
an attempt to connect will result in a response similar to the following:
*** Attempting to connect (irc.network.net)
Local host: cheops (131.69.136.12)
Catch22 You are banned from this server
Closing Link: Catch22[student.uni.nl] (K-lined)
*** Disconnected
Getting disconnected with the "No authorization" message occurs
due to a similar reason. The server does not give your site access.
A server administrator can choose which sites can connect to his
server via "I-lines" (called invitation lines). Many servers only
I-line local sites so you should try to use a server close to you.
(22) Can our firewall be blocking my IRC session?
Yup, that is very well possible.... I only know of mIRC as being
a Windows based IRC client being SOCKS compliant at the moment.
No other IRC Clients support firewalls. You need a SOCKS compliant
IRC client to be able to IRC over a firewall. Ask your internet
provider or corporate network managers if you are behind a firewall
and, if so, if using mIRC will allow you to use IRC.
(23) OK, I've got a client installed and I'm connected to a server,
but I got restricted access...
Servers can give you restricted access (usermode +r) if you're
far away from them or if you or somebody from your site (also read
20) messed up. When you have restricted access you can not be channel
operator, you can not do mode changes and you can not change nickname
but you can chat normally! Read more on the servers info page. The
only way to get unrestricted IRC access is to find another (more
nearby) IRC server. Being restricted has nothing todo with what
IRC client you use or with paying (or not yet) for shareware IRC
clients like mIRC.
(24) OK, I've got a client installed and I'm connected to a server,
now what?
It's probably best to take a look around and see what you want
to do first. All IRC commands start with a "/", and most are one
word. Typing /help will get you help information. /names will get
you a list of all nicknames, /list will give you a list of channels,
etc. The output of /list is typically something like this:
#hack 21 We are your worst nightmare !
#Nippon 53 Speak Japanese here please ?
#nicole 3
#hack 44
#hottub 76 Stay out! boiling catfood.
#mirc 27 mIRC Homepage http://www.mirc.com/
#irchelp 17 Ask all your IRC questions here.
(Note: There are sometimes thousands of channels, this is just
a small example.) In this example "hack" is a channel name. "#"
is the prefix. Follwing the channel name you will see the number
of people on it as well as its topic. All channel names start with
a # or &.
(25) What exactly is a channel?
A channel is a 'place' on IRC where group conversations occur.
People can join the same channel and see each other. Depending on
its topic and time of the day a channel can be VERY crowded. Channels
can alsobe quite chaotic, or calm. Channels can be open to everyone
but also closed and private and only open to friends. On the large
IRC networks (EFnet) as many as 2000 channels can exist, on smaller
networks (corporate or even one-node-nets) there will be fewer channels.
Channels on IRC are dynamic in the sense that anyone can create
a new channel, and a channel disappears when the last person on
it leaves. Once connected to an IRC server, type /list to see all
existing channels. All channel names start with a # or a &.
The # channels are globally available while the & channels are
restricted to users on your local IRC server. For this moment you
can forget about the & channels. If people speak of 'the IRC'
they refer to the use of the globally available channels with names
starting with a #. Whenever you want to refer to a channel's name,
it should be prefixed with a # or &. You also need to use the
name, including the # or &, to join a channel, to leave it,
to set its parameters, etc. (see below)
(26) Now that I've decided on a nice channel. How do I join that
channel? And what do I type once I get there? And when I'm done,
how do I leave a channel?
To join a channel, type /join #channelname. Try "/join #irchelp"
or "/join #mirc" to give it a try... That's it! Once you get to
the channel, you will see people talking. It will probably look
like this:
{Avalon} AUUG is on at the same time as LISA this year and is cheaper.
{Barron} backhaul those DS3s to Virginia ;)
{Barron} buy a farm
{FlashPYR} so is .us going to start charging $50/domain, too?
{Barron} or something
{Tolim} oops
Note that you will often come in during the *middle* of a conversation.
Unless you're familiar with the channel you may want to sit and
watch it for a minute or two to see what the conversation is about.
Often the channel name (for instance, #Twilight_Zone) has nothing
to do with what conversation goes on on the channel (#Twilight_Zone
does *not* have discussion about the TV show "Twilight Zone"). So
if you join #baseball, don't be surprised if you hear about the
SuperBowl picks or even the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame Museum! To
start talking, just type! And when you're done saying what you have
to say, just hit the [return] key. You can start with something
simple like "hello!". You don't have to type hello! because
IRC will insert before all of your channel messages. In
the channel window that opens once you join a channel you'll see
an alphabetical list of people that are on the channel on the right
side of the window. Some of them have a @ in front of their name
to point out they are the channel operators. A Channel Operator
is someone who has control over a specific channel. A Channel Operator
can also decide if control is shared or not. The first person to
join the channel automatically receives Channel Operator status.
In the channel's title bar you will see the channel's name and perhaps
its topic. If you choose to leave a channel, just type /part #channelname
(27) Ok, now what are the most basic commands?
With most windows IRC clients an extensive help file is included.
Dont hesitate to try the /help command.
IMPORTANT NOTE : ALL IRC COMMANDS START WITH A "/".
The forward slash is the default command character. Commands on
IRC are not case sensitive, and can be abbreviated to their first
letters. Anything that does not begin with "/" is assumed to be
a message to someone and will be sent to your current channel, or
to a person you are chatting with in a private chat (see below).
HELP shows general help or help on the given command.
LIST lists all current channels.
JOIN to join a channel
PART to leave a channel (same as LEAVE)
QUIT exits your IRC session, (same as BYE and EXIT)
NICK changes your nickname
AWAY leaves a message saying you're away or not paying attention
WHOIS displays information about someone
INVITE sends an invitation to another user
KICK gets rid of someone on a channel
TOPIC changes the topic of the channel
ME sends anything about you to a channel or QUERY
/HELP [command] Shows general help or help on the given command.
/LIST [[{flags}] {channel mask}] Lists all current channels.
In the list you will see all channels (see below), except for those
that are secret, with their number of users and the topic. The displayed
list may be quite long, so you can limit it using flags. "/LIST
-MIN n" for instance removes channels with less than 'n' users from
the output.
/JOIN {#channel} Sets your current channel to the supplied channel.
Upon entering a channel, you are given useful details about it:
a list of users talking in that channel, channel mode settings and
the topic... Joining a channel does not cause you to leave your
previous channel and you can normally join as many channels as your
connection can handle or that the IRC server allows.
/JOIN #windows
*** Now talking in #windows
/PART [#channel] Makes you leave a channel. (same as LEAVE)
/PART #windows
*** You have left #windows
/QUIT [reason] Exits your IRC session. (Also BYE and EXIT.)
If a reason is supplied, it is displayed to other people on your
channels.
/QUIT Lunch Time!
/NICK {nickname} Changes your nickname to whatever you like.
Everyone who wants to talk to you sees this name. Nicknames are
limited to 9 characters max. If your intended nickname clashes with
someone else's as you enter IRC, you will not be able to enter until
you change it to something else. Duplicate nicknames are not allowed;
this is enforced by the IRC servers. Under some circumstances, two
individuals may temporarily have the same nick but once discovered,
both of them will be killed; a nick collision kill.
/NICK Guru
*** Newbie is now known as Guru
/AWAY [away message] Sets your status as away with some info.
Sets a message explaining that you are not currently paying attention
to IRC. Whenever someone sends you a MSG or does a WHOIS on you,
they automatically see whatever message you have set. Using AWAY
with no parameters marks you as no longer being away.
/AWAY Gone to get a cup of coffee.
*** You have been marked as being away
/AWAY
*** You are no longer marked as being away
/WHOIS {nickname} Shows information about someone.
/WHOIS Guru
*** Guru is master@some.network.net (Nuclear free)
*** on channels: @#Windows @#Windows95 #mIRC
*** on via server irc.server.net (The best server)
*** Guru is away (making dinner)
/WHOIS Newbie
*** Newbie: No such nickname
/INVITE {nickname} {#channel} Invites another user to a channel
you are on.
If you want a friend to join your channel you can invite him. He
will see a message such as ***Guru invites you to #channel. This
is required if your channel is 'invite only'.
/INVITE Friend #windows
*** Inviting Friend to #windows
If you receive an INVITE message, you can type "/JOIN {#channel}".
/KICK {#channel} {nickname} Kicks a user off a given channel.
Well, you guessed it, if there is a way to invite someone on a channel,
there is also the ablility to KICK someone out of it. For example
,if a person is behaving in an offensive manner by annoying people
or flooding the channel with unwanted information, they can be forced
out of the channel. Only 'channel operators' are privileged to use
this command.
/KICK #windows Lamer
*** Lamer has been kicked off channel #windows by Guru
/TOPIC {#channel} {topic for channel} Changes the channel's topic.
Channels have topics, that indicate the current topic of conversation.
You can change this topic on a channel with the TOPIC command.
/TOPIC #windows Lets discuss OS/2
*** Guru has changed topic to "Lets discuss OS/2"
/ME {action description} Tells people about what you are doing.
At times, you may want to send a description of what you are doing
or how you are feeling or just anything concerning you on the current
channel or in a query.
/ME slaps Newbie with a large trout.
* Guru slaps newbie with a large trout.
The same goal can be achieved towards a specific nickname or channel
using:
/DESCRIBE {nickname|#channel} {action description}
(28) Ok, Now I'm ready for some less basic commands.
MSG sends a private message
QUERY starts a private conversation
NOTICE sends a private message
NOTIFY informs you when people logging in or out IRC
IGNORE removes output from specific people
/MSG {nickname|channel} {text} Sends a (private) message to specified
nickname or channel.
Besides chatting on IRC Channels you can also have private conversations
or queries with other people on IRC. On most clients these conversations
will be handled by separate window. You can use the /MSG command
to send someone a message that only that person can read. If somebody
else sends you a message or that person replies to your message
a query window icon will pop up informing you somebody wants to
talk to you personally.
/MSG Kreet This message can be read by you only.
*Kreet* This message can be read by you only.
In Kreet's screen an icon will pop up with the message you typed;
"This message can be read by you only."
If you cannot wait for a reply for someone to message you to open
a private window you can use the query command to force your client
to open a private conversation window.
/QUERY {nickname} [test] Starts a private conversation with {nickname}
and forces a separate window to open.
This command differs from the MSG command only by the fact that
it is used to start a private conversation. All text you type that
would normally be sent to your chat partner if you used MSG now
displays in an immediately opened private window 'to your chat partner'
on your screen and is sent to the other person as well.
/NOTICE {nickname|#channel} {text} Sends a private message to the
specified {nickname}or {#channel}.
The NOTICE command is just another way to send messages to other
people. But, unlike MSG's, NOTICEs will never open a separate window
'to' the other person. It should be seen as a sort of whispering.
It is recommended that robots or other automatons on IRC use notices
(contrary to messages) to send information to people. You should
never automatically (as by remote events or commands) send a message
or notice in response to a notice sent to you.
/NOTIFY [nickname|on|off] Toggles the notify function or adds or
removes {nickname} to the notify list.
As you start to meet people on IRC, you will want to add certain
nicknames to your notify list such that you will be warned when
they sign on or off IRC.
/NOTIFY wug marl
*** Added wug to Notify list
*** Added marl to Notify list
/NOTIFY
*** wug is on IRC
*** resi is on IRC
*** marl is not on IRC
*** kreet is on IRC
/IGNORE [nickname|user@host] Ignore all contact from the specified
people.
The day will come when you decide not (never?) to see or hear a
specific person on your screen. This can be achieved using the ignore
command. If people are flooding channels with useless text or they
are otherwise harassing you, a wise response is to ignore those
person. Ignore can be set to a nickname or by specifying a user@host
format. You can use all kind of wildcards.
/IGNORE looser
*** Added looser to Ignore list
/IGNORE
*** Ignore is ON
*** Ignoring: *.*@*.unicomp.net *!*ap@159.148.109.88 *!*fishy@*.interaccess.com
looser
/IGNORE looser
*** Removed looser from Ignore list
(29) What language should I speak? How do I behave on IRC?
The most widely understood and spoken language on IRC is English.
However, as IRC is used in many different countries, English is
by no means the only language. If you want to speak some language
other than English, (for example with your friends), go to a separate
channel and set the topic to indicate that. Similarly, you should
check the topic when you join a channel to see if there are any
restrictions about language. On a non-restricted channel, please
speak a language everybody can understand. If you want to do otherwise,
change channels and set the topic accordingly.
It is not necessary to greet everybody on a channel personally.
Usually one "Hello!" or equivalent is enough. Also, don't expect
everybody to greet you back. On a channel with 20 people that would
mean one screenful of hellos. It makes sense not to greet everyone,
in order not to be rude to the rest of the channel. If you must
say hello to somebody you know, do it with a private message. The
same applies to goodbyes. Also note that using your client's facilities
to automatically say hello or goodbye to people is extremely poor
etiquette. Nobody wants to receive autogreets. They are not only
obviously automatic, but while you may think you are being polite,
you are actually conveying yourself as insincere. If somebody wants
to be autogreeted when they join a channel, they will autogreet
themselves. Remember, people on IRC form their opinions about you
only by your actions, writings and comments, so think before you
type. If you use offensive words, you'll be frowned upon. Do not
"dump" (send large amounts of unwanted information) to a channel
or user. This is likely to get you kicked off the channel or killed
off from IRC. Dumping causes network "burps", causing connections
to go down because servers cannot handle the large amount of traffic.
Other prohibited actions include:
* Harassing another user. Harassment is defined as behavior towards
another user with the purpose of annoying them.
* Annoying a channel with constant beeping. (Therefore most clients
cannot beep at all)
* Any behavior reducing the functionality of IRC as a CHAT medium.
(30) What is a channel operator? What is an IRC operator?
A channel operator (ChanOp or Op) is someone with a "@" by their
nickname in a channel's names list, or a "@" before the channel
name in a /whois or /uwho output. Channel operators are the 'rulers'
of a particluar channel. This means they can kick you out of their
channel for any reason. If you don't like this, you complain to
them or start your own channel and become a channel operator there
yourself. An IRC operator (IRCop) is someone who maintains a server
or part of the IRC network. They cannot fix channel problems. They
cannot kick someone out of a channel for you. They also cannot /kill
(disconnect a user from their IRC server temporarily) someone just
because you gave the offender channel operator privileges and said
offender kicked *you* off. IRCops have better things to do than
interfere in channel affairs.
(31) How do I create a new channel?
A channel is automatically created as soon as the first person
joins it. If you join a channel and you find your name as the only
one there, you just created that channel. Channels on IRC are dynamic
in the sense that anyone can create a new channel, and a channel
disappears when the last person leaves it.
(32) What are good channels to try while using IRC?
The famous channels #holland, #funfactory, #unix, #warez, #42,
#friendly, #chat and #riskybus are almost always filled with people.
Just join to find out what happens on these channels! Besides chat
channels there also exist channels specialized towards helping other
users. Examples are #help, #windows, #winsock, #irchelp, #ircnewbies
and #mirc.
To get a list of all available channels with their names and topics,
type /list. To see only the most active channels type /list -min
20 which will show you channels with 20 or more members. You can
also do this for smaller numbers. Even very crowded channels can
be silent, so if you join a channel and don't hear much talking,
it may be because you joined, but just because the people on that
channel are doing other things.
(33) Someone is using my nickname, can anyone do anything about
it?
In the past on EFnet, NickServ registered nicknames. On smaller
networks some nickname registration still exists (see below). It
is important to understand that there are not always enough nicknames
to have nickname ownership. If someone takes your nickname while
you are not on IRC, you can ask for them to give it back, but you
can not *demand* it, nor will IRC operators /kill for nickname ownership
normally.
(34) Someone is using my channel, can anyone do anything about
it?
There are, literally, millions of possible channel names, so if
someone is on your usual channel, just go to another. You can /msg
them and ask for them to leave, but you can't *force* them to leave.
(35) Help! Someone kicked/banned me from a channel. Whom do I
complain to?
The answer to this question is the current channel operators, and
them alone. Given the dynamic nature of channels, channel operators
do not need to have a *reason* to kick you off. They decide what
goes on in the channel. Complaining either to IRC operators or to
the system administrators about being kicked or banned from a channel
is considered extremely childish, and will not result action. IRC
operators do not meddle with channel politics - that's the job of
channel operators. Proper IRC netiquette is to keep IRC issues within
IRC, because system admins have little time to deal with IRC issues
and many would rather shut it down rather than deal with problems
arising from it. If you should get banned or kicked from a channel,
you are always free to start your own channel and decide what is
appropriate content there. Imagine channels as houses. The owner
of the house can decide to share ownership with someone else and
can decide to prevent any individual from entering his house. In
your own house, *you* call the shots. :-) Feel free to create your
own channel, and set up your own rules for it.
(36) There aren't any channel operators on my channel, now what?
(Channel operators are the owner(s) of their respective channels.
Keep this in mind when giving out channel operator powers. Do not
give out channel operator status to *everyone*. This causes the
possibility of mass-kicking or otherwise harassing by unknown ops
and the channel be left without any channel operators. However,
always make sure to give ops to enough people so that all of the
channel operators don't unexpectedly diappear and leave the channel
without any operators. If no ops have stayed on your channel you
have one option. You can ask everyone to leave and rejoin the channel.
This is a good way to get channel operator status back. This does
not work on large channels or ones with bots, for obvious reasons.
On Dalnet ChanServ allows users to register and maintain absolute
control over channels as far as who gets channel operator status
and how that privelege is governed. Other channel modes are also
optionally maintained by this bot, with the only exception of bans.
(37) What is a "bot"?
A "bot" is short for "robot". It is normally a script run from
a client or a separate program (in perl, C, and sometimes more obscure
languages). Bots are normally not needed on IRC. A bot generally
tries to "protect" a channel from takeovers. It is important to
know that many IRC servers (especially in the USA) ban ALL bots.
Some IRCOps ban domains if you run a bot on their server (See the
segment on K: lines). On IRC you will find a lot of people with
a love/hate attitude towards bots. Some bots do good work as file-
or info-servers. Some will even entertain you with funny or brain
teasing games. These bots can be useful and desireable. Contrary
to these bots, you will find lots and lots of bots performing useless
'carekeeping' of channels, harassing and boring people and sometimes
created with the sole purpose to produce garbage. You can imagine
that these bots are disliked by the IRC community. In this context
it is good to advise you to -never- -never- ever take bot code,
.ini-files or strange commands from someone and run it without exactly
understanding what it does. Blind trust is a common mistake among
newbies. If you feel you just -have- to run a bot, at least learn
the programming. At this moment no Windows based bot programs or
script handling clients exist.
(38) What was NickServ? Is NickServ ever coming back?
On EFnet NickServ was a nickname registration service run in Germany.
It was a bot that told people who used a registered nickname to
stop using that nickname. NickServ has been down since the Spring
of 1994. It is not likely that NickServ will be back. Remember,
nicknames aren't owned on most IRC networks. On the Dalnet IRC network
a NickServ is still active. Dalnet's NickServ allows users to register
and effectively "own" nicks. This version of the services is considerably
more potent than it's EFnet predecessor since it has the capability
of killing anyone who claims a nick registered by someone else.
Therefore, it is not wise to simply ignore this one :-)
(39) Help, I get disconnected after the LIST command.
If you use the LIST command the server generates a list of all
channels (about 2000 on Efnet) and quickly sends that list to you.
But, because the data throughput is finite, the entire output of
the LIST command is queued in a buffer on the server. At some point
that buffer is overrun, and the server, detecting this ('reached
maxsendq'), disconnects you. This mechanism is designed to disconnect
people who generate more characters per second than any 'normal'
person uses for normal conversations. It is a server protection
mechanism, but unfortunately the server does not recognize that
the data stream you caused is simply the result of your harmless
LIST command, and disconnects you. On most IRC clients you can filter
the channels list to show only channels with a minimum and a maximum
number of people. You can also specify a text string so that your
client will only list channels with that string in their name or
topic. However, for the problem described, this does not help at
all. The server always sends you the entire channels list and your
client takes care of the filtering. So, asking for a partial list
to prevent you from disconnecting won't make ANY difference. It
is unfortunate, but there is nothing you can do to prevent this
from happening. It is just one of the all-too-many IRC oddities.
Try using some other server, as many are more forgiving.
(40) I've done a /whois on myself and other people, and I notice
that my real name shows up in parentheses. I don't like this! It
doesn't show up in other people's parentheses. How can I change
it?
In the setup of your IRC client simply state a fake real name.
(41) What is a netsplit? Why does everybody keep signing on and
off?
What does it mean when I see: ***NickName has quit IRC (*.bu.edu
eff.org)?
Netsplits are (unfortunately) a routine part of IRC life. The above
message means that NickName, who was on a channel with you, was
on a different server from you and this server split off from the
part of the net you are on.
A -------------- B ---- C
| |
D E
Lets assume a small IRC network where A, B, C, D and E are servers.
Let's say that you are on server D, and server A splits from server
B. In this case, you will see all users on the servers B, C and
E, "sign off". On large IRC networks and crowded channels you will
see a huge amount of people 'quiting IRC'. When A and B rejoin,
you will see users from B, C and E "rejoin" the channel you were
on.
Note that netsplits are all from the point of view of the user.
After a netsplit rejoins people might ask where you went -- because
from their perspective, *you* split off. The only thing you can
do during a netsplit is wait for the net to merge itself. Changing
your server during a netsplit is a Bad Idea, because you are likely
to have your nickname collided. A "split" often occurs due to faults
in the underlying *physical* network. It can also occur due to other
reasons, such as if the machine on which the IRC server runs crashes,
or if it is too overloaded to handle connections as happens on bigger
nets, or if an IRC operator willfully disrupts the connection between
two servers to achieve better routing (server - server connections).
(42) What is a Nick Collision Kill?
After a netsplit, a net-join begins and on both halves of the merging
network, and people that existed with the same nicknames can be
killed. This can happen frequently with popular nicknames. This
phenomena is called a Nick Collision. As soon as a Nick Collision
is detected (in general) both persons involved will be disconnected
(killed) from their IRC servers. Nick Collisions can be caused on
purpose by people who just want to harrass others or try to take
over their channel. In general, this behavior is considered very
abusive and can easily lead to a K-line!
(43) What is a Server-op? ***irc.server.net sets mode: +ooo Nick1
Nick2 Nick3
After a netsplit, during the net-join process, servers on both
sides of the split try to update all kinds of information they may
have missed. New users, their nicknames, the channels they are on
and most of the channel settings are exchanged. The servers involved
in the split will also make sure on both sides of the split on all
channels the same channel operators are set. This process is called
server-opping. Server-ops show like :
***irc.server.net sets mode: +ooo Nick1 Nick2 Nick3
Server-ops are famous for its use in malicious behaviour. People
can use net-splits to get operator status on a channel on one side
of the split and on the moment of net-join de-op the rightfull channel
operators. The Undernet has an improved server-server protocol which
prevents server-op abuse as well as channel desynchs and intentional
nick collides.
(44) What is an Ident server? Why am I unidentified and why does
it matter?
An ident server normally is maintained by the Unix machine of your
network provider. It is a kind of nameserver that guarantees your
Identity. Since most standalone windows machines are not correctly
backed up by an ident service, you sometimes have to run your own
ident server. Several windows based ident servers exist but some
IRC clients also have such a server built into their code to help
you. Examples are WSIRC and mIRC. IRC servers can do perform an
Ident request to your Ident server and then expect a standardized
repsonse. More and more IRC servers require you to be identified
in some way, and they will disconnect you if you are not identified!
Also if you don't react, or do so in the wrong way, they can decide
to disconnect you. You can check if you're properly identified by
doing a /whois on yourself. The first line in the reply should NOT
contain a ~ (tilde) before your userid. If you have a ~ in it try
activating the Ident server built into your IRC client or use a
separate Ident server and restart your IRC client and see if it
helps.
(45) What are Channel and User Modes?
Channels can have additional constraints, which can be set by the
MODE command. To understand this, recall that the first person that
joined a channel effectively creates it and is, at least initially,
in charge of the channel. He or she becomes a Channel Operator or
chanop or 'op'. He can set constraints to the channel and make other
people chanops as his wishes. The command that allows channel operators
to change channel modes, or any user to change their personal mode
is :
/MODE {channel|nickname} [{+|-}{modechars} [{parameters}]]
A + or - sign determines whether the mode should be added or deleted.
Channels can be moderated, secret, private, with a limited number
of users, anonymous, invite-only, topic-limited, with a list of
banned users...
/mode {channel} +b {nick|address} ban somebody by nickname
or address mask (nick!account@host)
/mode {channel} +i channel is invite-only
/mode {channel} +l {number} channel is limited, with {number}
users allowed maximal
/mode {channel} +m channel is moderated, only chanops and
others with 'voice' can talk
/mode {channel} +n external /MSGs to channel are not allowed
/mode {channel} +p channel is private
/mode {channel} +s channel is secret
/mode {channel} +t topic limited, only chanops may change
it
/mode {channel} +o {nick} makes {nick} a channel operator
/mode {channel} +v {nick} gives {nick} a voice
The MODE command also allows you to modify your personal parameters,
your "user mode". You can check your usermode with the command "/MODE
{yournick}". Note that user mode +i may be the default on some servers,
in order to protect privacy of users. This should not be seen as
a problem, since any user can change his/her personal mode from
whatever defaults a server may set.
/mode {yournick} +r sets your access to restricted. You
cant do a -r mode change !!
/mode {yournick} +i makes yourself invisible to anybody that
does not know your nickname
/mode {yournick} +o gives IRC-Operator status, can only be
set by IRC-ops with OPER
/mode {yournick} +s lets you receive server notices
/mode {yournick} +w makes you receive wallops; messages to
IRC-Ops (abused and deprecated)
(46) What do these Channel and User Modes mean?
A channel is PUBLIC by default. Anyone can notice a public channel,
see its users and join the conversation. In a list of channels you
can see a public channel's topic. When someone is on a public channel,
he can be easily found by all other users as long as his personal
user mode is not set to invisible (see below).
An INVITE-ONLY channel can only be joined if you are invited by
one of its channel operators.
PRIVATE channels turn up normally in the channels list. People
can see you are on a private channel somewhere, but they can never
find out on -which- private channel you are unless they search all
(private) channels by brute force. With the names command your nickname
will not show up, but it will with the /who {channel_name} command
unless you hide by setting your personal user mode to 'invisible'.
SECRET channels do not show up in a channels list and you cannot
find out its topic unless you join it. If you are on a secret channel,
someone who is not on the same channel can't see that you are there,
regardless what your personal user mode is set to. Your name does
not show up in a names list of people on IRC if you are on secret
channels only.
Your user mode can be set to INVISIBLE meaning that other people
cannot find you by searching on IRC unless they know your exact
nickname. No (wildcarded) search on you by the /who command on your
IP Address or real name will deliver your current nickname or other
likewise info to others.
When your user mode is restricted you do not have the power normal
channel operator have on channels (you cant use /mode, /kick, ..etc.)
and you can not change nickname (/nick). But you can chat normally.
(47) What server do you advise me to use?
Try to choose a server that is close to you. As a rule of thumb,
servers that are close geographically are also close network-wise
(which is what matters) but this rule of thumb is not always true.
If in doubt ask some people from the same neighbourhood what servers
they use. The larger the distance to the server the larger the chance
it refuses you or gives you only restricted access.
All people in need of a list of servers for EFNET, UNDERNET and
DALNET and more information follow the following URL's
Undernet Home page
Dalnet Home page
(48) In other IRC FAQ's and help files I see more and sometimes
totally diffferent commands and problems explained, how come?
This IRC INTRO file focuses on situations a typical user on a Windows
based IRC client may face. This restricion eliminates a lot of hassle
(and their solutions) the average IRC user on UNIX has to cope with.
In this file you will not find info on the UNIX command "set" (set
NOVICE off, set SCROLL_LINES 2) or similar commands since you don't
need them in Windows. I'm sure you dont want to be bothered by '
vt100 compatible terminals', 'How to scrollback using special key
bindings' and 'UID PID PPID'. Also, all references to .ircrc and
similar files are filtered out or where needed replaced by their
Windows equivalent.
(49) Where can I get more info?
IRC RFC
The Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Protocol is explained and defined
in the Request for Comments (RFC) number 1459 written by the founder
of IRC J. Oikarinen and D. Reed. This RFC is available by FTP from
cs-ftp.bu.edu
or ftp://ftp.tohoku.ac.jp/pub/doc/RFC/rfc1459.txt.
Start of IRC
Read how IRC was started by Jarkko Oikarinen and what he does nowadays
in http://www.mirc.co.uk/help/jarkko1.html
and http://www.user-com.undernet.org/promotions/logs/jarkko.html.
IRC FAQ
The IRC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) by Helen Trillian Rose
provides excellent information on a lot of IRC issues. The IRC FAQ
is available by FTP at cs-ftp.bu.edu and
ftp://ftp.kei.com/pub/irc/alt-irc-faq
and in html format on http://www.kei.com/irc.html.
Undernet FAQ
The Undernet IRC FAQ consists of 2 parts. The initial version was
written by Paul Grant and later versions by Mandar M. Mirashi. The
latest version can always be found at :
http://www.nv.us.undernet.org/faq.html
WWW
On the world wide web a lot of additional info can be easily found.
Do some simple searches on Yahoo, Altavista or Webcrawler to find
tons of info !!
Some usefull links are :
IRChelp.org and Yahoo
info.
You can also visit some Windows IRC clients World Wide Web pages
to get more info :
WSIRC, mIRC, mIRC, mIRC,
Virc.
Usenet
The Usenet alt.irc.* newsgroups provide a lot of information to
both newbies and experienced people on IRC. I can highly recommend
'lurking' there for a while!
IRC
On IRC you will find several channels intended to help you with
simple as well as more difficult problems. You could give #irchelp,
#ircnewbies, #new2irc, #newbies and #wasteland a try. Also most
of the popular Windows based IRC clients have their own IRC channel.
Check out #mirc, #virc or #pirch. Please don't demand help though;
we are all volunteers there.
(50) Credits?
I am fully aware that a lot of the information found in this file
can be found in the same or similar form in several other IRC releated
FAQ's already. I have tried to combine the best of worlds, by filtering
out all UNIX related references and adding Windows specific problems
and questions. I hope I was succesful. All information contained
in this file is based on the work and time various people invested
by answering questions in the Usenet alt.irc newsgroups and in the
already existing IRC related FAQ's. I especially want to mention
Helen Trillian Rose, Nicolas Pioch and Mandar M. Mirashi for the
time and effort they spend on their IRC ambassador job! Of course
I am the only one responsible for all omissions and mistakes in
this file, but I hide behind the usual disclaimers....
Tjerk Vonck. - tjerk@mirc.com
|