Internet/Communications

Xchat

There are many different ways to start a conversation on the internet: two possibilities are Instant Messaging (IM) and Internet Relay Chat (IRC). IM is like a phone call: the emphasis is on two-way conversation, while IRC is more like a club meeting, with numerous people discussing a topic of common interest.

Although these first two possibilities are usually text-based, there is a growing interest in Internet Telephony and Video Conferencing, with both audio and video communication.

Here we discuss Xchat, an IRC client. If you are more interested in:

Instant Messaging, read about Gaim.
Internet Telephony, read about Skype.
Video Conferencing, read about GnomeMeeting.

Connecting to the #snofrix channel

As an example, we describe how you can use Xchat to connect to the IRC channel devoted to the subject of Snųfrix! You can go there to ask questions about the CD, or simply to chat with other Snųfrix users.

When you chat you are identified by your nickname, "louis" in the example below. You can choose any nickname you like. It does not have to be your real name, and the nickname is not permanently assigned to you unless you register it. But you do not have to register to use IRC.

xchat-server

Connecting to a chat session is a two step process. The first step is to connect to a server, in our example irc.freenode.net. You do this by selecting Freenode as in the screenshot above, and clicking Connect.

Once you are connected to the server, the second step is to join a channel, in our example #snofrix. You do this by selecting Server --> Join Channel from the menu, then typing #snofrix as in the screenshot below:

The channel is a live discussion forum where you "talk" by typing in text at the bottom of your Xchat window. Depending on how many people are connected, there may be visible activity ("a conversation") on the screen, or it may be completely silent. Frequently conversations begin with the question "Is anybody there?"

Xchat is not the only way to connect to IRC channels. There are many other IRC clients, including Gaim. With some browsers, connecting to IRC may be as simple as clicking: irc://irc.freenode.net/snofrix

Xchat Info:

Additional information: