basic-irc.txt

SHORT VERSION
IRC chats are cool, worth knowing how to use. I use the irssi client, run it with
	$ irssi
Connect to Freenode or some other network with /connect
	$ /connect chat.freenode.net
Nickname registration/identification is done through the NickServ account
	/msg NickServ identify <password>
View your personal messages with the /q command
	/q NickServ
	/query NickServ
q is short for query. 

Connect to a channel with
	/connect #somechannel
And leave the channel with
	/leave
Exit irssi with /quit. 

Using Alt+<key> will help you navigate. So will PgUp and PgDown buttons. 

MORE DETAILS
How does IRC work and how do you use it? We have a hierarchy structure, which is made up of:
	Client software (irrsi)
	Network (Freenode)
	 -> Servers
	Channel

You access IRC networks through a client, such as irssi or WeeChat. Your client software can actually have you
create a settings file, setting up a user name and password, and things like that. The client is responsible
for connecting you to IRC networks which are made up of a number of servers. A network contains many different
channels, which is where you actually chat with people. When you join a network, you should register a nickname,
and this nickname is specific to you, on a particular network. So if you're on Freenode, you could have one
nickname, and if you're on Mozilla you could have another. 

The most common networks are Freenode, Mozilla, and OFTC. Freenode is probably the most popular, hosting many
thousands of channels. The network you're on typically has little to do with the channels that are on the
network. Anyone can make a channel on a network, depending on the rules of the network of course. 

When you're on a network, you have a nickname, and the option of typically thousands of channels for different
groups and projects. From there, it's all fair game. You don't need that many networks, I've only been on
Freenode for example. You can also run an IRC server on your own computer as a small network that follows
your rules. Typically, you have to register your nickname on the network with a nickname bot. You can also set
a password for your nick. 

How do you do things? Commands start with / and you can see the available commands with /help. Some other
commands:
	/attach chat.freenode.net		Connect to Freenode network
	/nick sjgallagher2				Set your nickname (not the same as registering which is network specific)
	/join #en.wikibooks				Join a channel (here it is en.wikibooks)
	/whois sjgallagher2				Find information on a user or nickname
	/clear							Clear channel's text
	/away Reason for being away		Send away message and tell people you're away
	/me loves cake 					Sends a signal with an action, like "sjgallagher2 loves cake"
	/leave							Leave the channel
	/quit							Exit IRC, or disconnects from the network

Now, how do you find a channel? Generally, it'll be listed e.g. on a project page or forum, or someone will make
a channel and give you the name to access. You can search for channels with the alis program.
	/msg ALIS list *searchphrase*

Making new channels is specific to the network. For example, Freenode has groups which are registered with
Freenode as an organization, and these groups can own channels. There are also topical channels that are still
on-topic for Freenode (which they describe as open-source projects, academic projects, etc).