IRC

IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat and is a decentralized internet chat protocol allowing users to talk over several IRC networks. The special touch is that it only allows text to be sent. While some Clients allow bold and italic text, most clients don't do this. IRC allows file transfer through the Direct-Client-to-Client (DCC) Protocol.

History

IRC first appeared in the Summer of 1988 on a finnish server (The first IRC server was 'tolsun.oulu.fi') over the BITNET.

Modes

IRC has various user modes and channel modes describing the channels and users.

User modes

Modes that you can set on yourself.

User modes

Mode	Meaning	Comment
B	Bot
d	Can't receive channel /PRIVMSG's, except with some prefix
D	Can't receive PMs from anyone except IRCOps, servers and services
G	Bad words filter
H	Hide IRCOp status	IRCOp-only
I	Hide online time in /WHOIS
i	'Invisible' (hidden from /WHO and /NAMES if queried by someone outside the channel)
o	IRC operator	Set by server
p	Hide channels in /WHOIS
q	Unkickable	IRCOp-only (but not all)
r	You are registered	Set by services
R	Only receive PMs from registered users
S	Services bot (extra protection)	Services-only
s	Server notices for IRCOps	IRCOp-only
T	Prevents from receiving CTCPs
t	Using /VHOST	Set by server
W	See when people /WHOIS you	IRCOp-only
w	Can listen to wallops messages
x	Hidden/cloaked hostname
Z	Only users on secure connections can send you PM/notices/CTCPs	Then you can't send such messages to insecure users too
z	You're connected via SSL/TLS	Set by server

Channel modes

See https://www.unrealircd.org/docs/Channel_modes

IRC in I2P

List of IRC servers/nets in I2P:

• Irc2P IRC Network - main IRC network of I2P

Client software

List of IRC clients known in this wiki:

• WeeChat
• (add your favourite irc client maybe?)

Phenomenon of random quits

Sometimes people randomly quit due to either "Read error" or "Ping timeout".

TODO: explain in technical terms why it happens.