When i first set it up - as stated in previous post - i had no problems at all setting it up, joining a group, and reading posts. When i came back the next day however, my little command icon to open the newsreader had dissappeared. I tried to redo the setup and it was not available in the customise menu either. I have tried resetting my toolbars, restarting the application, restarting the computer and all to no avail. This is causing me much frustration as i know there has to be a fix for it somewhere. Next will be to search the internet to see if this problem is listed anywhere.
A few days ago i downloaded mIRC for my PC. As noted in a previous post it has been a very long time since i last used IRC - i believe it was 1996.
Firstly i had some problems setting up the application with the Austnet server. But when you download the application it comes with a list of servers - using this list (austnet is on it) and selecting "random au server" then hitting "select" i was finally able to log in.
Next was to find a channel that i'm interested in. By typing in /channellist you get access to a list of all channels available on that server. This is listed in order of popularity.
IRC has not changed much that i can see since i last used it. It still has a high level of channels related to adult topics (ie sexuality and cybering). After some searching though i decided the trivia channel was a safe choice.
This channel has a bot running that gives a new random trivia question every 20 secs or so - 10 secs between each question and as long as it takes for someone to answer it. Points are awarded for the correct answer, and hints are given at a point reduction. It also gives a score point and keeps track of all users and their current ranking compared to all other users (by last night i think i was around 45 out of 115)
After talking to one of the other users i found out the following (click to enlarge)...
Although i find irc very simplistic and text based compared to what is available today - i have to admit i am already addicted to my trivia channel!
Think about the following question: how does IRC differ from other chat or messaging such as ICQ, MSN or AIM? Which system do you prefer?
I find IRC very different form the other chat options available. It is more text based, and i don't believe that it is very user friendly as it relies more heavily on commands then on buttons.
It is lacking in the "pretty pictures" and the personalisation of the other IM systems. However i still believe there is a place for everything. There are still quite a few users using irc to chat, and play. It is quick and instant in chatting, and you have the options of using the available channels or creating your own.
My preference would definately be for MSN - it is my IM of choice and i prefer it over yahoo and ICQ and have for years, however i can see myself still using IRC now as a result of what i have found - at least until my free access runs out!
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