Using channels

The concept of IRC Channels may need a little clarification for some readers. Channels can be thought of as virtual rooms or places where conversations occur. They are usually labelled as to the subject of conversation going on at the time. Individuals join channels that they want to participate in.

Channels can become very crowded depending on the time of day and the topic of discussion. They also have a Channel Operator, or ChanOp whose job it is to keep the channel running smoothly. They can evict you from the channel if they so wish. Some large chat servers can support thousands of channels at the same time. Anyone can start a channel but once created, will not disappear until the last person leaves it. Most channels are global in nature, meaning anyone in the world with Internet access and an IRC client can participate.

Chatting Privately

When you see someone else in channel and you would like to chat with them privately then all you need to do is to double click on their name and another separate window will open up and you can chat with them without anyone else in channel knowing.