TOURBUS: Tuesday, August 13, 1996

DRIVER: Bob Rankin

TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP:
Internet Relay Chat


Remember the first time you sent e-mail to someone halfway around
the world, and got a reply in less than a minute?  If you thought
that was cool, then Internet Relay Chat (IRC) will knock your
socks off!

Today's Bus will be a quick tour through the world of IRC, and is
condensed from Chapter 12 of my new book "Dr. Bob's Painless Guide To
The Internet".  (See the end of this posting for more info on the book.)
*-------------------------- BUY IT ONLINE --------------------------*
         Your Guide to Locating Products & Services Online
   Enter our "Can you FIND Goober" contest!  Put "Tour Bus" on the
      contest entry and we'll enter you twice - Great prizes!!
*------------------(  http://www.BuyItOnline.com  )-----------------*

If you've ever ventured into a chat room on commercial services
such as America Online or CompuServe, you have an idea what IRC
is like.  IRC can be compared to using a CB radio - you tune in to
a specific chat channel, give yourself a handle (nickname), and
participate in a live conversation with one or more people by
typing messages back and forth. Anyone connected to the same
channel can read your messages.

Firing Up IRC

-------------


To use IRC you need an IRC client (software) that connects  you
to an IRC server (a remote computer that plays host to the chat).
If you have a Unix shell account, you can start IRC and assign
yourself a handle by typing a command like this at your Shell
prompt.

    irc ChatterBox

If the default IRC server is busy, you can specify an alternate
one by typing

    irc ChatterBox 

where  is one of these server names:
    irc-2.texas.net   organ.ctr.columbia.edu
    irc.dal.net       irc.cerf.net

If you have a graphical (SLIP/PPP) account, look for an icon
labeled mIRC, wsIRC, Homer, ircle, or simply IRC, and click on it
to start IRC.  If you can't find an IRC client on your computer,
you can download one via anonymous FTP from cs-ftp.bu.edu.  Look
in the  /irc/clients directory for both Windows and Macintosh
software for IRC.  (From your browser, that address would be
ftp://cs-ftp.bu.edu/irc/clients)

Commercial online services may allow you to access IRC, in
addition to their own private chat services. Check your serviceOs
Internet area to find out if you can participate in IRC.  You may
have a little difficulty connecting to IRC - it sometimes takes a
minute or so, and occasionally you won't be able to connect at
all because the server is too busy. Try another server if you
have problems connecting.

Basic IRC Commands

------------------


IRC commands are the same whether you have a Shell or a SLIP/PPP
account. Graphical IRC software is much easier to use than a
Shell account, though, because it uses multiple windows to
display channel listings, command output, and dialog.  Let's look
at some of the basics of Internet chatting.

What Channels Are Available?

----------------------------


If you're new to IRC, the first thing you'll need is a list of
available IRC channels on your server. To find out what's
available, send one of these commands (after entering IRC):
  /LIST MIN=10        List channels with at least 10 participants
  /LIST #XYZ          List channels with "xyz" in the name

Avoid using the /LIST command with no keywords because you may
get a huge list - sometimes there are thousands of active channels!
(Note: The "#" is always the first character of an IRC channel
name.)

Joining or Leaving a Channel

----------------------------


Send the /JOIN #FLYINGCOWS command to connect to a channel (use an
actual channel name from your /LIST output in place of FLYINGCOWS).
Don't be surprised if someone greets you right away - it's a pretty
common occurrence.  To leave a channel that you've joined, type
/PART #FLYINGCOWS or exit IRC completely with the /QUIT command.

Sending and Receiving Messages

------------------------------


To participate in an IRC chat, type your message on the command
line and press Enter (don't use a slash).  Your message will
appear on the screen, along with a stream of messages from others
in the channel.   You'll also see informational messages when
people join or leave a channel.

Who Else Is on the Channel?

---------------------------


To get a list of users on a channel, use the /WHO command as in
/WHO #FLYINGCOWS. In response you'll get the handle, e-mail
address, and IRC name of the other users. If you want to get more
information on a user with a particular handle, use the /WHOIS
command as in /WHOIS DOPEY.

Be aware that the IRC name is not always the real name of the
person. Most IRC clients allow you to use whatever you want for
the IRC name and some even let you enter a bogus e-mail address!
In IRC, you can never be certain that anyone is really who they
claim to be.

Operators and Bots

------------------


An OPerator (or OP for short) is a person who owns or moderates
an IRC channel. OPerators can expel or ban trouble-makers, set
the topic for a channel, and grant OPerator status to other
users. Most channels have an OPerator, identified by an @ symbol
next to their handle.

Unlike OPerators, bots (software robots) look like normal users
but they're not. They are programs that can both keep order and
raise havoc on IRC channels. Some bots look for offensive
language and expel users who don't play by the rules. Others are
just annoying, and some malicious bots even flood channels with
streams of meaningless nonsense.  Most IRC servers (especially in
the U.S.) do not allow bots.

More IRC Commands

-----------------


Here are some additional IRC commands you may find useful:
  /HELP                    Get help with IRC commands
  /NICK                    Change your handle
  /AWAY                    Tell others you're away

For a closer look at IRC commands and how to use them, read the
IRC Primer at http://www.kei.com/irc/IRCprimer1.1.txt on the Web.


Some warnings about chat services

---------------------------------


  - Chat systems are real time sponges-they'll suck up all
    your time if you aren't careful!

  - Don't answer any questions that make you uncomfortable, and
    think hard before giving out personal information to strangers.
    Just sign off if you feel threatened or intimidated.

  - Don't hesitate to summon an operator if you are harrassed.
    Operators can expel or permanently ban chat users who don't play
    by the rules.

Start Here

----------


Here are some addresses for several Web pages which list IRC
channels and  MUDs that you can use to start your journey into
the realm of online chat.

 Jeff's Awesome Chat Index
 

 Yahoo! IRC Links
    

WorldVillage Chat (Family-Safe)

*---------* Online Backup for Business, Writers and Individuals *------*
  CYBeRGEM Remote Backup System provides an easy to use, cost effective
  off site storage system for your critical data.  Save & retrieve your
  zipped and encrypted files (only you have the key) via the Internet.
*----* e-mail: backup@cybrgem.com - http://www.cybrgem.com/backup *----*

*---------------------------*  ONLINE COURSES  *-----------------------*
 Do you want to keep your job AND take courses?  Univ. of Wisconsin-
  Stout provides facilitated & self-paced courses online.  For info
   visit "http://major.uwstout.edu" or e-mail "conted@uwstout.edu".
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*

Sorry this TOURBUS is a little longer than most... I guess I was feeling
well, sort of chatty.  ;-)  See you next time!  -Bob