WG/OBIT/IRC

= IRC (Internet Chat) Guide = This page is a WIP

What is IRC?
IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat. IRC is a popular method for chatting over the internet with large groups of people. It can also be used for two people to chat privately. It's pretty awesome.

On IRC chat rooms are called "channels". Channels are designated with a '#' symbol before their name. For example, the Occupy Boston channel is called #occupyboston.

IRC Channels are found on IRC Networks. There are many different IRC networks on the internet. Some examples of IRC networks are Indymedia and Freenode. IRC networks do not typically communicate with eachother, so if you join the channel #occupyboston on Freenode, you will not be able to chat with people in the #occupyboston channel on Indymedia. The official Occupy Boston channel is located on the Indymedia network.

While IRC is very powerful and flexible, it's not necessary to dive into the advanced commands to simply chat with your working group.

Connecting via your web browser
The easiest way to connect to IRC and start chatting is through the main website at occupyboston.org. Simply navigate to the Occupy Boston homepage and click the "Chat" link, or click here.

Once you're at the Occupy Boston chat page you will see a prompt for a nickname. Simply type in what you'd like to appear as in the chatroom and click "connect". Once you click connect you will automatically be connected to the Indymedia irc network, and you will automatically join the #occupyboston channel.

Once you're connected you will see the body of the channel, a pane populated with all the other users present, and an entry field at the bottom. Now would probably be a good time to say hi, so type "Hello" into the field and hit enter.