IRC stands for "Internet Relay Chat", and is a chatroom network where people from all over can get together. Many networks have multiple servers, giving the users multiple sites to connect from. To connect, you need an IRC chat program. This tutorial focuses on mIRC, a shareware program. So if you don't have a copy yet, or if you don't think you have the latest one, go grab that file now. As of this writing, the current version is 6.02.

Installing mIRC is simple, that's one of the reasons we like it. Simply download the file from www.mirc.com and run it. The install file asks you for the directory, defaulting to c:\mirc, and that's it! Everything else is automated.

Connecting to IRC is almost as easy as installing it. When you first run the program, the options window pops up with a small form to fill out. In thr drop-down listbox, you choose the server. Just change this to DALnet: Random server and you'll have no problem connecting.

In the box where it says Full Name, just enter your first name, or perhaps a character name. This isn't displayed, but it's a good precaution to not put much personal information into these windows. The same carries for the E-Mail Address box.

Finally, you have the Nickname and Alternative boxes. These are what control the name you appear as, so pick whatever you want. If someone already has the nickname you put in the first box, mIRC will try to set you to the alternative. If neither work, it will prompt you for a different nickname.

At the bottom of the menu is a checkbox labelled Invisible Mode. Basically, this has to do with people being able to check if you're connected without knowing your nickname, like listing all the nicknames on the server. We suggest you put a check in this box, just for privacy and security.

Now just click on the Connect to IRC server button, and you'll be connected in no time at all.

Joining a channel is simple. If you've done everything correctly, you'll be looking at a channels folder list. This list isn't very useful, so I suggest you uncheck the Pop up folder on connect box, and close the window by hitting the small X in the corner.

Now you'll be staring at a window that is prompting you for a command. If you want to see a listing of the channels currently open, type in /list, but since you already know the channel name, you don't have to do that. The command to join a channel is /join <Channel Name>. Try it out by typing /join #edmonton-ff

If you try to join a channel that doesn't exist (has 0 members) the channel is created for you. You can use this to make a new channel to chat in, and invite others to come chat with you.

DALnet has a nice feature called Nickserv, which allows you to 'register' your nickname, so nobody else can use it. The command to do this is /msg nickserv register <password> <email>. It's important to use a password you'll remember, and to put in a real email address. If you forget your password, they'll use that email address to send you a reminder.

Once you register your nickname, you'll have to identify yourself every time you log in or change your nickname to the registered one. The command to do that is /msg nickserv identify <password>. Once you do that, you'll get a message that tells you you've been identified.

To prevent the nickserv from becoming filled with unused old names, if you don't log on for an extended time span there's a good chance that your nickname will be reclaimed, and you'll have to register it again.

You also have to use the AUTH command that you will recieve in your email from DALnet.

IRC has a vast range of commands and abilities, but most of them aren't needed by most of us. There are a few that are important to know though, and you might find yourself using a lot.

/me <description>	It's like an IRC emote. * Indigo throws a large rock at Serroi
/nick <nickname>	Changes your nickname
/part	Leaves the channel you type it in
/quit <message>	Quits IRC, with the message you specify
/query <nick> <message>	Sends a private message to the nick you specify

If you need to know how to do something else, the best way to do it is to ask in the #help channel.

One of the most useful features of mIRC is buried in the options menu. Usually when you log into IRC, there's a few things you want to do - set your nick, identify yourself to nickserv, and join one or more channels. mIRC can let you do this automatically, if you set it up.

To do this, do the following steps.

• Open the options menu, it's under File | Options
• Make syre the 'tree' under Connect is open, by clicking on the small + next to it
• Choose the Options category, and do the following things:
  • Check the Connect on startup box
  • Check the Reconnect on disconnection box
  • Uncheck the Pop up connection dialogue on startup box
  • Check the Move to top of list on connect box
• Now open the IRC tree, by clicking on the small +
• Choose the Perform category, and do these things:
  • Check the On connect, perform these commands box
  • Fill in the box with the commands you would type at the beginning. Mine looks like this :
    /nick Indigo_Jade
/msg nickserv identify <password>
/join #Edmontooine


And that's it! If you did everything correctly, next time you run the program you can just sit back (or wander off to get a drink), and before you know it you'll be identified and sitting in all your usual channels.

mIRC also has more ways to set up it's options, for those that want to try them. Specifially, you can change the colors and background of the window, and you can change the font that text displays at.

Fonts and backgrounds are chatroom specific, and mIRC will remember them every time you run the program. Personally, I find that the font mIRC defaults to is the best one, since most people use it and there are 'ASCII-art' images that some people will drop into the channels that won't make sense unless you have the typical font.

To change the font for a particular channel, click on the system menu for that channel, it's a small icon in the upper-left corner of the channel window. mIRC will show a preview of the text in a small box at the bottom of the new window as you choose. The default is 9 point regular FixedSys.

Backgrounds are chosen the same way, through the system menu. Although mIRC will say it recognizes JPEG's and GIF's, the only images you can use are bitmaps, though they can be tiled, stretched, centered, etc... If you change it, you'll want to pick one that is either very dark, or very light, to make sure you can still read the text.

Colors are the final option, and changes made here affect all the mIRC windows. You get to the menu by choosing Tools | Colours. To change the color of anything, just click on the text or background you want to change, and choose the new color from the display at the bottom.

The End