Best 'easy to get started with' Windows IRC client with optional depth? reddit / irc ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wizardling · 2021-12-21 08:46 G'day. I'm trying to lure a friend onto IRC, but they've literally never used it, not once, despite using computers since the mid-90s! So I'm wondering what's a Windows 10/11 (they're still on 10, but will probably upgrade to 11 this year, they tell me) IRC client that is easy to get started with - not too daunting or arcane (I'm looking at you, mIRC) in it's way of doing things. Yet not an overly dumbed down client. Something with some some optional depth in terms of configuration and customisation. Cause my friend may be a total IRC newbie, but they're a geek and have that geeky urge to tinker, and I know they'll appreciate getting a suitable client right off the bat :-) TIA! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- knightricer210 · 2021-12-21 10:34 HexChat is free and quite easy to use. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa_Hawkeye · 2021-12-21 10:47 Kvirc is what I use at home, full of features, not too complicated and it's well documented. http://www.kvirc.net/# ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wizardling · 2021-12-21 10:47 Seriously - a simple question like this to try and help a friend, is downvoted? :-D I'm just unfamiliar with Windows IRC clients, and would appreciate a recommendation to save time and hassle. But nooo… I've offended the stuck up redditer clique who hate it when anyone asks a question that could 'simply be answered by hours of web browsing and testing of software to see what's going to be suitable.' LOL. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wizardling · 2021-12-21 10:49 Cheers - that sounds good :-) I'll give it a go tomorrow. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wizardling · 2021-12-21 10:50 I'll try it out, thank you :-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MrOtsKrad · 2021-12-21 13:29 most of the time they are downvote bots, all subs have them. Rest of the time its people who molest children and talk in the theater. Dont sweat it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ManiaGamine · 2021-12-21 13:47 mIRC is the old school dominant windows client but is/has a paid/trial as well. Alternatively there is another client that mimics most of the mIRC features called AdiIRC. I used to use mIRC on windows and have since switched to AdiIRC. (though I mostly use Linux now znc+weechat) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gozarc · 2021-12-21 13:53 For brand new beginners I would recommend [IRCCloud](https://www.irccloud.com/). It has paid levels, but the free version is powerful enough to get you start. The biggest difference between IRC and other messaging services is the idea of presence. Let them know the 24/7 connections and multiple clients require some work. :-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wizardling · 2021-12-21 17:55 People who talk in the theatre are pure evil :-( ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wizardling · 2021-12-21 18:05 I've always liked how, aside from logging on an individual basis, IRC chat is ephemeral. It's quite freeing to just be able to express one's self and not be fussed about it being up there for all time - typos, half-baked ideas, daft jokes, trash talk about one's employer, and such. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wizardling · 2021-12-21 18:07 mIRC is one of the few Windows IRC clients I've used, but I didn't think it was a good one to inflict upon my friend. Back when I used it, I found it to be pretty arcane and not observing the usual ways of doing things in a Windows GUI app. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- masturkiller · 2021-12-21 18:14 I second IRCCloud. Its easy to use and simple enough for most people. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wizardling · 2021-12-21 18:18 I'll take a look, cheers :-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- christopherw · 2021-12-21 20:54 I'd say mIRC has always done things its own way, neither good nor bad - first time setup was fairly easy when I was a total newcomer and the documentation has always been *excellent*. I'd say give mIRC a spin, configure it with the server settings and then flit between it and other clients, user may quickly find that they prefer the fuller featureset of mIRC over some other clients. Pidgin is another alternative some of my friends liked, albeit with its own set of quirks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- mircpnp · 2021-12-22 13:15 I would plug mIRC as well since that's how I started IRC somewhere in the late nineties. I have a soft spot for mIRC and the peace&protection suite of scripts (which is 20 years old lol) which can be installed on top of it, which I helped maintain for a number of years (2014-2021 [https://github.com/peace-and- protection](https://github.com/peace-and-protection)) There's documentation for mIRC and the mIRC Scripting Language -abbreviated mSL- on [en.wikichip.org/mIRC](https://en.wikichip.org/mIRC) which I'm in the process of porting to [mirckb.readthedocs.io](https://mirckb.readthedocs.io) Also, mSL scripts can be found on GitHub/gitlab, on the mirc forums ([forums.mirc.com](https://forums.mirc.com)) or at [mircscripts.net](https://mircscripts.net) If you'd need help with mIRC I would recommend the #mircscripting channel on SwiftIRC. (You'd need to register your nick to join that channel though- anti-spam thingie) I've used IRCCLOUD's paid subscription for 2 years and it's excellent. It has a beautiful webinterface which makes chatting a very pleasant experience. I've switched from windows to macOS some time ago and now I use Textual + Palaver on phone connected to znc running on my home raspberry pi so as to not miss any of the conversations. I wrote a quick guide on how to install and configure ZNC on a raspberrypi and posted it here, in case you find it interesting: [https://gist.github. com/acvxqs/36016faa7ac4012f52ae3eaebf131af6](https://gist.github.com/a cvxqs/36016faa7ac4012f52ae3eaebf131af6) There are a number of really great IRC apps on windows. As an alternative to mIRC, you may want to check out this newcomer: Ərk (python based). [https://github.com/nutjob- laboratories/erk](https://github.com/nutjob-laboratories/erk) All the best!