IRC Annoyances!%*@ [Newbie IRC Netiquette Guide] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Written by MrDigital ================================================================== WARNING: Do not give in to "Reading-Laziness" which many MSN/ICQ or Yahoo chatters adapt to when coming to IRC and giving up because its not "simple" to use. It is easy if you use basic common sense - and eventually, you'll be confident enough with it to start enjoying it. ================================================================== Introduction ============ Welcome to the #IRCHelp Newbie IRC Netiquette Guide. You will probably have been referred to this by a member of staff in #IRCHelp because you are new at IRC and you want to know all the ins-and-outs of this "cool" piece of software. You can start on your quest by firstly knowing exactly [HOW] to behave on IRC so you can stick around to find out more. For instance, you might want to know how to download some files because your friend from work told you he/she gets interesting information from IRC. Well, you started off on the right foot if you're here, because you went to a help channel and asked about IRC. This is one of the few places you will have been told about, including other docs like typing /ircintro and checking websites for newbies such as http://help.dal.net/docs/ To cut to the chase, here's some etiquette which is a good idea to follow if you want to continue using the Internet Relay Chat Protocol: Patience ======== This is put first, for one very important reason - its the most important thing to do whilst on IRC - "keep your cool" because if you don't, you're probably going to end up breaking most of the netiquette guidelines below. You need to respect the fact that IRC isn't as easy as most chat tools, and it takes time and patience to get used to the interface and the way it works. But when you do, you will start enjoying it. There's people who are still chatting on it today who have been on it for over 10 years, and I personally know two of them, and I can't see them ever coming off it, because the friends you'll make on IRC are friends for life, not just "asl" buddies. Read on if you want to learn about IRC etiquette in order to get and keep your friends... Flooding ======== Flooding is a big problem in modern day IRC. It is one of the worst ways to introduce oneself to an IRC community. Example: *** sardat_22 has joined #IRC HI Hello. HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI HI *** sardat_22 was kicked from #IRC by sid (Stop flooding) From the above, you can clearly see that flooding is IRC slang for repeatedly typing something only for the purpose of annoying other IRCers. Language ======== What is the point of joining a channel and then chatting away in German while in an English speaking channel. This is offputting for just about every user in the channel, who, might we add, has no clue what you're ranting on about. If you want to chat in a specific language to people who speak that language, please make sure you go to a channel where thats one of the main spoken languages. It's common sense really. For example: /join #french-help instead of /join #help Colours and Bold ================ There are a lot of channels which despise the use of colours so you will find them set +c (which prevents colour being used in the channels.) However, +c does not block out the use of bold so it would be a good idea not to use it at all to get yourself heard, because you'll most likely be met with a kick if you use it. Remember, there are certain channels (like #txtworld on DALnet) which are designed for showing off your scripts, colours etc so if you want to do "your fancy stuph" and "shake ur bootie" go in there and do it. Other than that be strongly discouraged from the use of colours and bold. Nick Changes ============ Changing your nick constantly: this is another form of flooding, if at its worst (ie somebody writes a script to automatically change a nickname over and over again in a short space of time.) It is advised that you generally keep to using one nickname, and do not change it. In some rather more 'old skool' (generally technically related) IRC channels, it is considered as inappropriate to change your nick when you go away. For example: PB is now known as PB[away] OR even worse (for obvious reasons): PB is now known as PB[away-toilet] In order to fully understand the problem with this 'minor' case of nick changing, you have to consider the fact that certain users don't want to know where you are constantly - for if they would, they'd message you. Therefore, to avoid these problems, type /away Reason and type /away (when you come back) again to turn it off, so if someone wants to find you, they'll know then where you are by your away reason. NOTE: You can read an extensively informative document about this case of 'bad' /away messages at the following URL (address) http://sackheads.org/~bnaylor/spew/away_msgs.html Auto-Rejoining ============== Auto-rejoins, this is a problem with many of the IRC users' clients, where they are pre-set to auto-rejoin a channel (in other words, go back in) after being kicked out for whatever reason. For example: <21:16:33> UserA was kicked by OperatorA (Flooding) <21:16:34> UserA joins channel #blah Please take special attention to the time in the example. You will notice that this UserA rejoined the channel immediately (one second) after being kicked out by OperatorA. This must mean that he probably didn't even look at the kick reason (which is desplayed on the user's screen every time he/she is kicked out of a channel) which annoys the Op, and probably instigates a ban, where the user is banned from the channel [cannot rejoin it] for a substantial length of time, decided by the Operator. It would be a good idea to check whether you have auto-rejoin turned on or off. Below are methods of how to turn it off. [Using mIRC] EITHER: Press Alt+o --> Click 'IRC' tab --> uncheck 'Rejoin after being kicked.' OR: Click Options button [next to golden connect button] --> Click 'IRC' tab --> uncheck 'Rejoin after being kicked.' Articulation ============ IRC is completely different from Yahoo Chat or whatever you have been used to beforehand. It is not 'new' either. IRC has been around before the Web was invented. It thus has very intelligent old-timers in it, who have been around for a very long time. That usually means you're less likely to encounter young people without much of an intelligence (even though the balance is gradually tilting with more and more kids surfing IRC.) With all this in mind, it is important that you can communicate in an appropriate fashion. In other words, 'asl' shouldn't be the only question on your mind when you join a channel, because some channels despise people with nothing to say for themselves except their age, sex and location. Also, it is advised that you do not go surfing IRC insulting people "for fun" because that usually results in being kicked out from every channel you go to, and gives your ISP a bad reputation. Thus, even if you ban evade (changing your IP/host in order to get back on the same channel you are banned from,) eventually you won't be able to get on at all. This has happened to AOL countless of times :-) Channel Jumping =============== Joining and parting the same channels constantly is considered another form of flooding. For example: *** Newb (~newb@IPT-blah.aol.com) has left #chat *** Newb (~newb@IPT-blah.aol.com) has joined #chat hey newb *** Newb (~newb@IPT-blah.aol.com) has left #chat *** Newb (c~newb@IPT-blah.aol.com) has joined #chat Caps ==== Do not type in capital letters. This method of typing is considered as 'yelling' and it's therefore considered bad manners to type everything in caps. A small amount of newcomers to IRC do this because they think they'll get noticed more if they use caps. They're right, but that extra attention usually comes with a kick. Safety ====== This is really common sense, but for the kids, it is important to state the following for your own safety (even though it is generally suggested that children under the age of 13 are not to go on IRC.) It sounds like we've given up hope trying to get rid of these parasites, but there *are* paedophiles on IRC, who prey on children, so do not giving out important details whilst chatting, and *always* make sure you have a parent or an adult supervise while you are on IRC just incase. We therefore suggest, that if you are under 13, in the email and realname fields, you type a parent's name and email in instead of your own real name and email address, your mother's if you're a girl and your father's if you're a boy.