IRC - what do people use it for these days? reddit / irc ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-01-16 08:35 I had last used IRC in 1997-2000 when I was fairly new to the internet. I think I used something called MIRC primarily to chat or download movies. Nostalgia brought me here and I am wondering if it's worth exploring again. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dijit · 2020-01-16 08:48 I use it as a social club of sorts, since there's a barrier to entry it doesn't get flooded anymore with the kinds of people who made it undesirable (like, a reverse [eternal september](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September)). MIRC is nice if you're a staunch windows user, although iirc getting SSL working was more awkward; but there are some really good alternative clients on the market. If you're a CLI user like me then something like [weechat](https://weechat.org/) is great, but there's also web based things like [irccloud](https://www.irccloud.com/) or [thelounge](https://thelounge.chat/). But yes, it's a social club. If you want to join an active community to get a taste; we're available on ircs://irc.darkscience.net:6697/darkscience Server: irc.darkscience.net Port: 6697 SSL: Yes channel: #darkscience There's more tech-savvy channels on freenode, and more anime centric channels on rizon. But, each channel is different. I don't think people are using IRC to download movies these days. Maybe as an event stream to see new news articles or new torrents becoming available. But direct download is uncommon. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-01-16 08:53 Thanks for sharing. I have never been too deep into tech so programming still eludes me. That said, yes, I think I gave up when the bots took over but would be good to get in and talk again. Will check out your channel as well. Cheers ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DavidLuizshair · 2020-01-16 09:18 I use it as a way of socialising with different people I wouldn't have approached otherwise. Currently, a channel I current is on Snoonet called #casualconversation, it's something which is akin to a chatroom which is for as the title states 'Casual Conversation.' It's something that has aged moderately well and still is quite entertaining and enjoyable if you want to visit for some small talk with different people from all walks of life. https://webchat.snoonet.org/casualconversation is the link Alternatively, if you have your own client irc.snoonet.org on port 6667 /join #casualconversation ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Taenaur · 2020-01-16 11:48 I've been chatting with the retro lot on [freenode:#TGOD](https://webchat.freenode.net/#TGOD) - nice to chat with like minded people in real-time. There are a lot less bots around now thankfully. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ExBritNStuff · 2020-01-16 12:58 I use it for team communication at work every day, the way some people use Slack, Teams, or whatever. We started using it ten plus years ago because it's what we were all used to, and it has stuck around because it works for us and how we operate. XKCD 1782 really is true. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- nucular_ · 2020-01-16 15:34 I just idle in my home channel on freenode, like most people I think. It's nice to run something in the background where I can just share interesting links or randomly strike up conversations. Other than that, many open source projects have community support channels on there where you can just join, ask questions and hope that somebody sees them. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-01-16 15:46 Glad to hear that. IRC is on my weekend list.. will prolly take up some web client and jump in. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TheContrarian2 · 2020-01-16 16:09 I still use MIRC. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-01-16 16:22 Isn't it more productive to use the likes of slack? With integrations, SSO, file sharing etc? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-01-16 16:23 That is super. That's literarily the first piece I will be checking this saturday. I thought it might have died by now. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TheContrarian2 · 2020-01-16 16:25 It's still a thing and updated frequently. I even paid for it! (and I hardly ever pay for software) https://www.mirc.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-01-16 16:26 Do a lot of people stumble into your channel? Or its more of word of mouth? Like back then everyone would come in to the popular ones... heck I don't even know what is what now! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-01-16 16:28 Lol the site looks much better and seems on trend. I am trying to recollect was it free back in the days or did I simply* ignore the 30 day trial message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- nucular_ · 2020-01-16 16:33 Oh it's essentially a community channel for [The Powder Toy](https://powdertoy.co.uk) (#powder). But because we don't enforce on-topic discussion at all it transformed into a cozy general discussion channel. Some newcomers pop in from time to time to talk about the game, but most active people joined many years ago and decided to stay. Many of them spend their days staring at screens anyway because they're nerds, developers and/or students so idleing on IRC fits into that lifestyle pretty well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LM432 · 2020-01-16 17:42 Yes, you needed to buy mIRC back in the day too. Everyone just ignored it. :) I only irced with mIRC, but a few months ago I switched over to HexChat. I was on IRC in the 1990s and I stopped going on around year 2001. I got back into IRC in 2019 and I've been on for about a year now. Once you find a nice home, it's nice. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- thebmo · 2020-01-16 20:08 HexChat is a good free alternative if you are looking for somethig free and similar to mIRC ---------------------------------------------------------------------- purplecat82 · 2020-01-16 20:34 I've gone back recently too, but my old zanet is all but dead and trying to find a new home now. Anyone recommend any good UK channels? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jonno_FTW · 2020-01-16 21:01 Programming help and discussion on freenode. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LsDmT · 2020-01-17 00:35 Private Tracker stuff (scene torrents) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ExBritNStuff · 2020-01-17 01:20 Depends what you're trying to do. All we're trying to do is have text based communication between a group of ~10 people, with the option for one-on-one and arbitrary groups (channels). Works perfectly for that. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2020-01-17 02:14 [deleted] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hippoliciouz · 2020-01-17 04:32 I was huge into irc many years ago, like you. I had a bot net on Undernet and recently I was compelled to try and remember how it all worked so I got back on irc and got an eggdrop bot. I remember so little of it. Great to relearn though. The whole irc universe seems so much smaller now but still very worthwhile. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- legalize101 · 2020-01-17 05:12 So funny seeing this post because I was just thinking about the same thing! I too used it in the early 2000s. I remember using it for downloading you know what , and I was actually a host as well... until we got a nice little letter from the isp and had the speeds capped. Beyond that I played counter strike and irc was THE place for teams to host their chat rooms and grow a following. Are we old?! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NotBamboozle · 2020-01-17 05:47 My IRC discovery story is pretty weird I'm a post millennial, never heard of IRC all my life, I vaguely kinda knew instant. Recently I was watching Mr Robot and in one episode in S4 we see Dom launch up an IRC client on Mac and join a #sex group. And I was like damn, instant chat still exists?? And hence went on to discover freenode, and a couple of clients, I use irssi rn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-01-17 06:45 Lol yes we are. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-01-17 06:46 Yep, back then prolly I was all about size but now the perspective is all about quality. Weird loop. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-01-17 06:48 How is the take there on smart conversations vs the trolls and elites? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-01-17 16:39 Thanks, will look this up as well! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- the_banana_anthem · 2020-01-17 17:54 the old quakenet/gamesurge 5v5 HIGH serv ON :P ---------------------------------------------------------------------- eggbean · 2020-01-18 18:53 IRC is nothing like what it used to be. There aren't regular people on it and it just consists of technical people on freenode. The other networks are all pretty much dead compared to the '90s. If you are technical, freenode, oftc, etc are great. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- mikes2123 · 2020-01-19 02:16 This sounds exactly like my experience... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- fitzgerald1337 · 2020-01-21 22:29 https://drewdevault.com/2015/11/01/Please-stop-using-slack.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- fitzgerald1337 · 2020-01-21 22:30 Which channels? I'm an aspiring webdev and have joined a few, but I'm interested in joining more. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jonno_FTW · 2020-01-21 22:55 Channels are usually language specific, if you're into web dev try \#web ##javascript #pyramid #css #python ##php #mysql #git #jquery #github Basically, if a language, tool or framework exists, there will probably be a channel for it. Make sure you register with nickserve so you can actually join. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- fitzgerald1337 · 2020-01-21 23:26 Yeah I'm pretty active on IRC already, just fully diving in. Currently in #webdev #javascript #reactjs #Node.js Thanks ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-01-22 01:35 Thanks. That was a gold read. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 9nty · 2020-01-23 00:50 I don't know anything about mIRC about from what I use it for and that is for Twitch Subscriptions Notify Messages like this; [https://i.imgur.com/hUrkoMv.png](https://i.imgur.com/hUrkoMv.png) As soon I add the Twitch Subscription code each notifies message doubles. ​ BUT having problems with the message, it double posts in the chat. If you know maybe why it's doing that let me know? I didn't know people use IRC for other things. Interesting! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LordGalactic · 2020-02-02 19:07 I like mirc for my windows computers but irccloud allows a perm mobile connection accessible by Android platforms and others. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- k8bobate · 2020-02-17 04:12 What were some of the old servers and channels you frequented? I'd love to talk to some of my old irc friends on EFnet #teenchat, IRCnet #freepot and a few others ---------------------------------------------------------------------- AtomicFurion · 2020-02-18 05:08 In all honesty it was so long ago that i dont even remember.. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- yep808 · 2020-02-19 17:51 Mr robot introduced me to irc too ---------------------------------------------------------------------- quavered · 2020-04-08 02:18 I used to hang out on ircQnet back in the day, and then wherever the Miranda developers were- I think it was freenode. Probably around 98/2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- KingH4X4L · 2022-01-01 19:08 Anyone remember Dalnet vs Efnet? The mini groups that formed in large channels that made their way into small channels was amazing ---------------------------------------------------------------------- No-Fly-85 · 2022-04-01 08:15 I was introduced to IRC back in the 90's when I became a part of a community know as Cyberarmy. It was a community of tech savvy people who had the foresight to see what the internet could possibly become, both the good and the bad possibilities. The community had a website that encouraged ordinary people to become more literate in the many aspects of tech related topics including security, internet freedom/self regulation and online activism through online action. It was an amazing community that had a forum where there was a plethora of knowledgeable people willing to skill share. The irc server was a bit more on the wild west side of things. Users would gather to discuss a variety of topics often through encrypted means. Some users participated in :war games" where two or more people would agree to secure their computers to the best of their abilities and then the object of the game would be to take control of the others computer. It was seen as a good way to pactice network security & exploit skills without being malicius. There were undoubtedly some members who may or may not have dabbled in what is known as grey/black hat activities, yet even then they would do so for reasons they saw as a greater good. Eg taking down child porn sites etc. Sadly the community seemed to die off rigjt around the time the patriot act was passed for obvious reasons. I really do miss that community though.