The IThe IRC Prelude

By David Caraballo (DC-itsme) and Joseph Lo (Jolo)

The original version of this page is at
<http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/new2irc.html>
Translations: Espaol | Franais | Deutsch | Greek | Indonesia |
Italiano | Nederlands |Portugues | Turkce
Contents
1. What is IRC, and how does it work?
2. Some details
3. Talking, and entering commands
4. Where to go
5. Some smileys and jargon
6. Some advice
7. IRC server problems, and choosing a server
8. More detailed help
9. A word of warning

1. What is IRC, and how does it work?

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) provides a way of communicating in
real time with people from all over the world. It consists of
various separate networks (or nets) of IRC servers,
machines that allow users to connect to IRC. The largest nets
are EFnet (the original IRC net, often having more than

32,000 people at once), Undernet, IRCnet,DALnet,

and NewNet.
Generally, the user (such as you) runs a program (called a
client) to connect to a server on one of the IRC nets. The
server relays information to and from other servers on the
same net. Recommended clients:
UNIX/Linux Clients
o irssi - terminal-mode client
o xchat - X11 (graphical) client
Windows Clients
o mIRC
Macintosh clients
Be sure to read the documentation for your client!
Once connected to an IRC server on an IRC network, you
will usually join one or more channels and converse
with others there. On EFnet, there often are more than
12,000 channels, each devoted to a different topic.
Conversations may be public (where everyone in a
channel can see what you type) or private (messages
between only two people, who may or may not be on the
same channel). IRC is not a game, and I highly
recommend you treat people you meet on IRC with the
same courtesy as if you were talking in person or on the
phone, or there may be serious consequences.

2. Some details

Channel names usually begin with a #, as in #irchelp . The

same channels are shared among all IRC servers on the same
net, so you do not have to be on the same IRC server as your
friends. (There are also channels with names beginning with a
& instead of a #. These channels are not shared by all
servers on the net but exist locally on that server only.)
Each user is known on IRC by a nick, such
as smartgal or FunGuy. To avoid conflicts with other users, it
is best to use a nick that is not too common, e.g., john is a
poor choice. On some nets, nicks do not belong to anyone,
nor do channels. This can lead to conflict, so, if you feel
strongly about ownership of such things, you may prefer
networks with services like Undernet, DALnet, or
other smaller networks.
Channels are run by channel operators, or just ops for
short, who can control the channel by choosing who may join
(by banning some users), who must leave (by kicking
them out), and even who may speak (by making the channel
moderated)! Channel ops have complete control over their
channel, and their decisions are final. If you are banned from
a channel, send a /msg to a channel op and ask nicely to be
let in (see the /who command in the next section to learn how
to find ops). If they ignore you or /who gives no response
because the channel is in secret mode (+s), just go
somewhere else where you are more welcome.
IRC servers are run by IRC admins and by IRC operators, or
IRC ops. IRC ops manage the servers themselves and, on
EFnet and many other networks, do not get involved in
personal disputes, channel takeovers, restoring lost ops, etc.
They arenot IRC cops.

3. Talking, and entering commands

Commands and text are typed in the same place. By default,

commands begin with the character / . If you have a
graphical client such as mIRC for Windows, many commands
can be executed by clicking on icons with the mouse pointer.
It is, however, highly recommended that you learn to type in
the basic IRC commands first. When entering commands, pay
close attention to spacing and capitalization. The basic
commands work on all the good clients.
Some examples are given below. In these, suppose your nick
is yournick, and that you are on the channel #coolness.
Your friend MaryN is in #coolness with you, and your friend
Tomm is on IRC but is not on a channel with you. You can
apply these examples in general by substituting the relevant
nick or channel names.
What you type
What happens
/join #coolness
You join the channel #coolness.
/who #coolness
Gives some info on users in the channel.
@ = channel op, while * means IRC op.
hello everyone
Everyone on #coolness sees hello everyone. (You need not
type in your own nick.)
/me is a pink bunny
Everyone in #coolness sees * yournick is a pink bunny

/leave #coolness
You leave the channel.
/whois Tomm
You get some info about Tomm or whatever nickname you
entered.
/whois yournick
This is some info others see about you.
/nick newnick
Changes your nick to newnick
/msg Tomm hi there.
Only Tomm sees your message (you dont need to be on the
same channel for this to work).
/ping #coolness
Gives information on the delay (round-trip) between you and
everybody on
coolness.
/ping Tomm
Gives information on the delay (round-trip) between you and
just Tomm.
/dcc chat MaryN
This sends MaryN a request for a dcc chat session. MaryN
types /dcc chat yournick to complete the connection. DCC
chat is faster (lag free) and more secure than /msg.

/msg =MaryN Hi there!

Once a DCC connection has been established, use the /msg
=nick message format to exchange messages (note the =
sign). DCC does not go through servers, so it are unaffected
by server lag, net splits, etc.
/help
This works in many clients. Try it!
/quit good night!
You quit IRC completely, with the parting comment so that
others see *** Signoff: yournick (good night!).
NOTE: When you are not in a named channel, lines not
beginning with a / have no effect, and many commands work
differently or fail to work altogether.

4. Where to go
You can learn a lot by joining a channel and just listening and
talking for a while. For starters, try these channels: #new2irc,
#newuser, #newbies, or #chat.
For help with the mIRC client, try
joining #new2mirc or #mirchelp. For help with general IRC
questions, join #irchelp.
To form your own channel with the name #mychannel (if
#mychannel does not already exist), type /join #mychannel.
The channel is created and you are automatically made an
op.

5. Some smileys and jargon

:-) is a smiley face, tilt your head to the left to see it.
Likewise, :-( is a frown. ;-) is a wink. :~~( is crying, while :-P is
someone sticking their tongue out. :-P ~~ is drooling. (-: a
leftys smile, etc. There are hundreds of these faces.
Here are some common acronyms used in IRC:
brb =

be right back

bbiaf =

be back in a flash
bbl =

be back later

ttfn =

ta ta for now
np

no problem

imho =

in my humble opinion
lol =

laughing out loud

j/k =

just kidding
re

hi again, as in 're hi'

wb =

welcome back
wtf =

what the f--k

read the f--king manual

rotfl = rolling on the floor laughing
6. Some advice

rtfm =

Etiquette Typing in all caps, LIKE THIS, is considered

shouting and should be avoided. Likewise, do not repeat
yourself or otherwise flood the channel with many lines of
text at once. Be sure to use correct terminology, e.g.,
channel, not chat room, and nick, not handle.
While in a channel, follow the lead of the channel ops there. If
you antagonize them, you may be kicked off the channel
forcibly and possibly banned from returning. On the other
hand, some channel ops are power-hungry and may kick or
ban for no good reason. If this happens, or if someone on a
channel is bothering you, simply leave the channel there
are thousands of others.
Registration On many networks. services exist for the
registration of nicknames and/or channels. These services
vary greatly between networks, but are useually mentioned
in the servers message of the day (MOTD) which is shown
when you first connect. You can show the MOTD again at any
time by typing /motd in most clients.
THe networks home page will also detail any services offered
on that network.
Nickname registration allows you to own a nickname, and
prevent others from using it on that network. Consequently, if
you try to use a nickname that someone else already has
reserved on such a network, you will recieve a warning
message from the network, and after a few seconds, your
nickname will be changed or your will be disconnected. In the
event that this happens, simply change your nickname until
you find one thats not taken. Consult the MOTD or network
homepage for details if you want to register your nickname.
Disconnected by /list? If you get disconnected when using
the /list command, try switching servers, or else recent
channel lists are available on the WWW
athttp://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/chanlist/.

Harrassment and attacks If someone starts harassing or

flooding you, leave the channel or use the /ignore command.
For more details, mIRC users see our flood
protection page, ircII users type /help ignore. It is a good idea
to set your user mode to +i (invisible) to avoid unsolicited
messages and harrassment if you are invisible generally
only users on a channel with you can determine what nick
you are using.
If somebody else is crashing or disconnecting you, see
our Denial of Service or Nuke Attacks page. You can also log
and report abuse when it violates server rules, which you can
read by typing /motd.

7. IRC server problems, and choosing a server

At this point, you are ready to chat on IRC. For the most
part, the commands above should suffice for beginners, but
things can go wrong in IRC.
Net splits Networks can become divided (called a net
split), thus separating you from users you had been
speaking with. These splits are often relatively short, though
common some days.
Lag A more frequent problem is lag, where there is a
noticeable delay between the time you type something in and
someone else reads it. Choosing a server near you is one way
to try to lessen lag. Lag can be measured by using the /ping
command (see the commands section above). Once you find
a better server, the command for changing servers is /server
server.name.here.
Server Lists On most clients, typing /links gives a list of
servers on your current net. Use this command sparingly, no

more than a couple times in a row, or you may be mistaken

for a link looking troublemaker.
Ping? Pong! mIRC users: Ping? Pong! in the status window
just means your server pinged you to make sure you were
still connected, and your client automatically replied with a
pong. Dont worry about these.
Reminder about DCC chat The /dcc chat command can be
used to establish a one-on-one connection that avoids lag
and will not be broken by a net split! Check your docs for
usage info. In most clients, you can set up a DCC chat
connection by both typing /dcc chat nickofotherperson. To
talk through that connection, type /msg =nick whatever
(note the = sign). In mIRC, you can also start a DCC chat
session by selecting _DCC and then Chat from the menu and
then entering the nick of the user with whom you wish to
chat. A window opens for that dcc chat session.

8. More detailed help

For further information about these issues, as well as about
other commands, visit the web site <http://www.irchelp.org.
There you can find many help files, such as:
IRC Primer
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for alt.irc newsgroup
IRC tutorial
At that web site you will also find more advanced
information for specific IRC clients, including:
ircII client and ircII scripts.

 Mac clients
mIRC client for Windows
Looking for other clients? The most comprehensive
source of clients is at theUndernet FTP
archive or Undernet WWW archive. The clients are
organized into groups like Windows, Macintosh, DOS,
Amiga, Java, etc.
The mIRC client also has excellent built-in help files
written by Tjerk Vonck (mirc@dds.nl).
Select Ircintro.hlp from the Help menu.

9. A word of warning
IRC scripts are sets of commands that your client will run.
Many otherwise good scripts have been hacked so that if you
load them, you can seriously compromise your security
(someone can get into your account, delete all of your files,
read your mail, etc.). There are also evildoers who try to send
people viruses and other bad things. Just like in real life, dont
accept anything from a stranger. There have been many
incidents of this type, not just a few. Do not ever run a script
unless you know what each line does, not even if it is given to
you by a friend, as your friend may not have the expertise to
detect well-hidden trojans.
Automatic DCC get is a very bad idea! Once it is on, you
are susceptible to dangers ranging from disconnection from
your server to giving someone else control of your computer.
Quite a few people have run into serious problems because of
the DCC autoget setting.

Special thanks to FreeSoft, prysm, hershey, turtle, Ariell, and

other #irchelp helpers on EFnet for their many helpful
suggestions.
Now that youve read this beginners guide, get on IRC and
enjoy! Or if you are interested in learning more, check out the
many documents on the #IRChelp home page.