Realtime chat

The purpose of chat tools is interactive communication between Internet users. Internet Relay Chat (IRC author Jarkko Oikarinen) can be uses in the educational purposes too. If we use it as educational tool we called them educational IRC.

Chat tools transmit the text typed by one user to all other participants. This is public text transmision. On the other hand we can send private text to only specific user. Users are presented by their nicknames.

IRC works in the client server architecture. Users usualy have client software and connect themselves to the IRC servers. There are available IRC clients for all computer operating systems. In Windows world the most favorable IRC client is mIRC and Microsoft Chat (because it is freeware).

1.) Selecting IRC network

Different IRC network have different groups of channals. Even if the channal has the same name on different networks it is not the same channel. (For example channel #slovenija on the Undernet network is not the same as channel #slovenija on the EFNet network)

Most popular networks are Undernet and EFNet. At this time there are about 15 independant IRC networks. Each has its own servers and routes conversations between servers on the other networks.

EFNet - IRC servers in Slovenia

2.) IRC channals

Channals are virtual space in the IRC network where people meet and chat. If someone wants to chat with the others he/she must enter into one or more channels. The type of conversation inside the channel can be guessed from the channel's name.

Most of the channels are public but some are privat or even hidden. Some channels can be joined only by invitation from a person who is already in the channel

Each channel has one or more operators and in some odd condition also none operator. When you enter a non-existing channel this channel is created and you become operator. As operator you have the privileges over other users you can promote other users to the operators or expel them if they causes problems or harass peoples beyond reasonable line.