IRC beginner help

== Brandeis Wireless Users Read This ==

The unsecured wireless network at Brandeis blocks most Internet protocols, and IRC is one of those.  To allow you to get onto the chat room from the Brandeis wireless network, we have set up a web-based IRC client.  This client will also work for people behind corporate firewalls that block IRC.

[http://brandeislarp.com/mibbit.html To use this client, click here.]

== Everyone Else Read This ==

If you're using the secured wireless network at Brandeis, or a wired ethernet connection at Brandeis, or are getting your internet pretty much anywhere else, you have a variety of options available to you.

=== Getting on IRC ===

* '''The easy way''': If you don't want to install any extra software on your computer to get on IRC, then skip the rest of this section and just [http://www.brandeislarp.com/mibbit.html click here to use our web-based IRC client].  However, if you plan to be on IRC a lot, you may find it easier to install an IRC client.
* '''Windows users''': [http://www.mirc.com mIRC] is the most popular IRC client on Windows, and for good reason.  It works well and has a plethora of useful features.  However, mIRC costs money since it's shareware.  Another popular option is [http://www.pidgin.im Pidgin], which is a free multi-protocol IM client that lets you get onto AIM, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, and a variety of other services in addition to IRC.
* '''Mac users''': [http://www.colloquy.info Colloquy] is the most popular IRC client on Mac OS X.  It's free, has a good set of features, and fits nicely into the Mac desktop environment.  If you do decide to use Colloquy, we highly recommend going to the "Interface" panel in the Preferences and checking "Show Notices as Private Chat" - otherwise you won't see the chat backlogs correctly when you connect.  If you don't like Colloquy, another reasonable choice is [http://sourceforge.net/projects/xchataqua/ X-Chat Aqua].
* '''Linux users''': You probably wouldn't be using Linux if you weren't already highly opinionated about software, right?  However, if you do need some suggestions for IRC clients, X-Chat works well in GNOME, and we have it on good faith that LostIRC works well in KDE.  You could also try using Pidgin if you want something integrated with an IM client.  Or, if you are more 1337 than us, try [http://www.bitchx.com/ BitchX].

=== Connecting to IRC Using a Client ===

This part is relatively easy.  The IRC server you want to connect to is '''irc.magicstar.net''', and the port is '''6667'''.

Your IRC client may also ask you for a list of channels to automatically join.  You should join '''#brandeislarp'''.

== Once You're Connected ==

OK, you've connected to the IRC server.  Now what?

=== Registering with NickServ ===

You probably don't want other people posing as you, right?  If so, then you can register with NickServ to protect your identity.  In your IRC client, type:

/msg NickServ register ''password''

replacing ''password'' with the password you'd like to log in with.  After that, when you sign into IRC, you can type:

/msg NickServ identify ''password''

to "log in" to your nickname.

=== Stupid IRC Tricks ===

Here are some other things you can do with IRC that you may want to know about:

* '''/join''': Use this to join a new IRC channel.  Type "/join ''#name-of-channel''" to use it.
* '''/nick''': Use this command to change your chat nickname.  To use it, type "/nick ''your-new-nickname''".
* '''/me''': Typing, for example, "/me jumps up and down", will make "''your nick'' jumps up and down" appear in the channel.

=== Bots ===

We have a couple of "bots" running on our server.  These are not real people, they're computer programs posing as chat room members.

* '''DeepThought''' is a general-purpose bot.  Primarily, it's there to log what people say for archiving and searchability.
* We used to have a bot called '''cont''', which stands for "continuity".  When you logged into a channel, cont would tell you the last few things that were said in the channel before you joined.  It also gave you a web link to the rest of the day's chat logs, as transcribed by DeepThought.  Nowadays, DeepThought provides those services in addition to logging, so cont is no more.