The Internet Relay Chat.
What is I.R.C. ?, well it is a Network of
computers linked by Server's over the Internet.
These Server's supply you with access to the various Network's.
Most ISP's have their own IRC server's and this can mean two thing's
a) The channel's on that server can only be accessed by user's of that ISP.
b) The channel can be accessed by anyone.
This is usually achieved by setting up a different Port number for when you
join a channel/server.
All the various computer platform's have their own IRC
programs or clients.
What is the point of IRC?, the IRC is a way to chat to people in real time,
you can have as many people as there is available to join a channel which can
be 100's and from all over the world. Aswell as chatting to
each other you can play sound's, send and receive file's, it is away of keeping
in contact with friends and relative's and also making new friends with the same
interest's as you.
Also see here for a brief explanation of
chatting carefully.
There are channel's for all sort's of subject's, almost anything you can think
of has a channel for it, if there is not one that take's your fancy you can
set up your own channel.
If you do that you can have it so every one can see it and so join it or have
no one see it until they join so you can keep it private, also you can have
it so people cannot just join and talk, it can be made so that they have to
be invited on to the channel then invited to talk aswell.
While using the IRC you see abbreviation's
used for many thing's.
We can be found on #HarryHomers most nights.
Beware that an excessive amount of time on the
IRC will raise phone bill dramatically
At today's price's it cost's :-
Day time (0700-1800) £2.37 per hour
Evening time (1800-0700) £0.99 per hour
Weekend's (midnight Friday to midnight Sunday) £0.60 per hour
These price's are without any discount's and are correct on 29-4-1998
BT's price's of course and assuming a local rate call
