Explains irc (internet relay chat) networks, chat rooms or channels, software, entering with WebTV, room ops or operators, & how to find chat rooms or more information.

How to get into chat

Getting Connected

Getting into chat

Internet Relay Chat, or IRC for short, was started in 1988. Special software was needed to access it, and it was a little tricky to set up. But now all that is required to enter a chat is a few clicks from a web-based chat room. Web-based chat rooms began to pop up over the net in the late 1990's. They provided opportunity for web-tv users, who were unable to use irc software, to chat for the first time. You can read IRC's early history here.

Some online communities offer their members an opportunity to create their own chat room and link it directly from their website. Some of the IRC networks offer a java web interface as well, which can be accessed directly from a personal web page.

The software is very useful for providing logs and additonal features unavailable through java chat if you are serious about getting into this ministry.

Here is the IRChelp homepage

mIRC is one of the most popular IRC software programs. It is the software I use. The mIRC web site also provides a lot of information on the older IRC networks. You can view mIRC's web site here.

For Mac users, Ircle is the software of choice. Here is the Ircle web site.

The most popular IRC networks are listed on the mIRC web site at this address:
http://www.mirc.com/servers.html

Christian Command is a Christian overlay for mIRC. It provides a Bible "bot" with KJV, NIV, and NASB versions, as well as numerous witnessing helps.

These are all available as uncrippled shareware programs.

In IRC based chat rooms, rooms, or "channels" as they are often called, can be "registered." Then Channel "ops" or operators can be put on a list so that they are automatically "opped" when they come into the channel. The ops have power to control the channels...kick those out who spew out a stream of filth for example.

However the best way for witness is often to "moderate" the channel which allows the ops to "devoice" those they choose so they can only see the conversation, not type in the channel.

IRChelp and mIRC explain more about these procedures.

Many web-based chat rooms do not provide a way to control the conversation.

Changing technology

This page was last updated in January of 2003, and is only a brief introduction. I've not been active in chat lately, and technology is continually changing. For more information on accessing a chat room, see the "Help" section of the chat media you are trying to use.

Maintaining Order in Life