FAQ-IRC

This page pertains to the most general FAQs about IRC.

What is IRC ?
IRC, abbreviated for Internet Relay Chat, provides a platform for open chatting & is chiefly designed for group communication. It consists of networks which themselves contains channels which refers to the place for group discussion relevant to the topics for the discussion.

Why should I join IRC ?
IRC allows you to have real time chat with individuals proficient in various fields around the globe & helps you in discussion of your problem.

What are the ways to join IRC ?
There are various ways to join IRC--


 * Installing IRC application
 * Using your web browser

You can install various programs available both for Linux as well as windows.
Here are some of the them --


 * XChat - http://www.xchat.org/download/
 * mIRC -http://www.mirc.com
 * LeafChat - http://www.leafdigital.com/Software/leafChat/

You can install the application in the manner applicable to your Operating System

You can connect to IRC with your web browser

 * http://webchat.freenode.net

You can also install firefox addon Chatzilla.

I am a newbie and I'd like to have list of networks & channels ?
You can get the exhaustive listing of networks & channels here.

There are over 7000 networks present with over 800,000 users

What is Freenode ?
Freenode is a network which provides group discussion facilities for Free and Open Source Software communities. There are about 10,000 channels & 150,000 users present anytime.

You can get listing of channels in Freenode here.