Internet Relay Chat, IRC or Chat for short, lets you send typed messages and exchange dialog with other IRC users around the world in real time. Here's what you need to know to enter this addictive virtual world. Contrary to what the mainstream press will tell you, people are talking more now than ever before. Sometimes even late into the wee hours of the morning. Granted, these conversations aren't carried on face-to-face. Rather, you'll find them in virtual areas called Channels. Thousands of these channels exist throughout the Internet, so you'll be certain to find one that meets your fancy.
Web based chat
When using Web based chat you need to know the Web address (URL) of the Web site which hosts all the different chat rooms. These chat rooms are preset with their own subjects for chats like soccer or movies. Yahoo Chat, for example, has dozens of chat rooms for you to use.
Some Web based chat services can be quite slow and it is also difficult (if not impossible) to set up your our own chat room. If you are going to use chat regularly you would be much better off downloading a dedicated chat program such as mIRC.
How it Works
Basically, IRC works like this: You install and run an IRC client program on your computer such as mIRC. The IRC client connects you to an IRC server through your Internet connection. Using these two tools, you'll be able to join conversations or start your own. All IRC servers are interconnected and pass messages from user to user over the Internet. Just one server can be connected to several other servers and thousands of clients. There is no restriction to the number of channels that can be formed or individuals that can participate in a discussion.
The IRC server is nothing more than a computer set up on the Internet that is running special software. Its job is to hold all the information about the channels and individuals on IRC. It also routes dialog to other users. Individuals operate these servers or companies who want to provide chat services to their users. The client program running on your computer performs actions in response to commands you give it. It also passes text to the IRC server you're connected to.
The more common chat clients show you a screen divided into two sections. One section displays the dialog from other people on the channel while the other shows what you type. You participate by typing your message as you want it to appear to all the participants on the channel. Your message will not appear to others on the channel until you press your computer's enter key.