RuneScape Clans Wiki:Chat

Internet Relay Chat, usually referred to as IRC, is an online chat protocol that bears some resemblance to instant messenger protocols. The main difference is that IRC is oriented around channels that allow a conversation involving dozens or hundreds of people to take place, rather than the two-person conversations that usually take place with instant messaging. (Note, however, that IRC also has a private message mechanism, but its main use is its channels.) Each IRC user is usually running client software on their computer, which enables a connection to an IRC server. Groups of servers are usually set up to communicate with one another, sharing channels and users, and forming networks. There are hundreds of publicly accessible IRC networks today.

The RuneScape Clans Wiki has its own IRC channel, #wikia-runescape, set up on the Freenode IRC network. Freenode is focused on broadly licensed projects such as open-source software and wikis, and a number of other wikis (including Wikipedia and other Wikia) have their channels there. Anyone is welcome to join the channel; no special permission is needed. There are two gateways set up for easy access, the CGI:IRC gateway, and the Java gateway. Simply enter a nickname to use and connect through the web-based interface.

Users who are in the IRC channel regularly might find it more useful to download a more complete client onto their computer. mIRC and XChat are two of the most popular. If you would like to use one of these clients, point it to irc://irc.freenode.net/wikia-runescape to connect to our channel.

IRC help
Users who are unfamiliar with IRC are advised to use one of the two gateways, linked in the sidebar and in the second paragraph above. Both lead to the same IRC channel, #wikia-runescape by default, though other channels can be joined within them. These gateways are designed such that you only need to enter in a nickname to use within the channel, preferably your wiki username, and click connect. Sometimes, however, problems can be encountered:


 * It may take some time to establish a connection to the server. When this is finished, however, the channel's tab should appear.
 * The nick you chose might already be registered or in use. In this case, you can type "/nick new nick" into the input box to change to a new nick.

Once you join the channel, chatting itself should be self-explanatory. A list of users currently in the channel can be found on the right side of the screen. (Note that "ChanServ" and "RuneScript" are bots, not users.) Sometimes the channel can be empty or nearly empty, or users may not be watching the discussion—if this is the case, you might want to try coming back at a different time of day. In particular, the channel is most used during the afternoon and evening in US time zones, or about 22:00 through 05:00 UTC.

Channel rules

 * All RS Wiki rules still apply here.
 * No impersonating another user! No exceptions.
 * No nick-change spam, or nicks that have any suggestive or sexual reference. Stick to one or maybe two names.
 * Administrators have the ability to enforce these rules by kicking users from the channel, and in severe cases, setting bans from entering. However, because it is sometimes difficult to establish a link between an IRC user and a wiki user, conduct on IRC will not lead to any action taken on the wiki.

Nick registration
While it is not required to use IRC, there is a service in place that allows users to register the nicknames they use. This prevents other users from using that nickname unless they provide the password for it, given at registration. It also confers a number of other benefits; in particular, registration is required in order to make use of administrative rights on the channel. Nickname registration on Freenode is handled by a bot named "NickServ". To register your nick, follow the steps below:


 * 1) Make sure you are connected properly, and are using the nickname you wish to register.
 * 2) Type, without the quotes, "/ns register password e-mail", where password is a word that you will use to "log in" with, and e-mail is your e-mail address (which can be hidden from other users, see below). If NickServ fails to register your nick, it may be because you left out the password, or because the nickname is already registered. Simply choose another nickname and repeat.
 * 3) Now, type "/ns identify password", where password is the password you previously supplied.

From now on, whenever you connect back to Freenode, simply enter "/ns identify password" to identify yourself with the server again.

If you want to hide the e-mail address you provided from other users, use the command "/ns set hidemail on", provided you have already used the identify command during the session. This setting will be attached to your registration and will not have to be repeated.

Please add yourself once you have registered. You should use your wiki or RuneScape Clans Wiki names, however, you may ask an administrator if another name is acceptable.

Commands
IRC supports a number of commands, with varied uses. An incomplete list of commands is found below. Note that the commands should be typed exactly as is, with the slash in front, replacing the parameters (if any) for their values.


 * /nick nickname - Changes your current nickname to the provided nickname. This fails if another user is already using that nickname. Also, your registration DOES NOT change over to the new nickname.
 * /join #channel - Opens a new chat page containing the provided channel. You MUST include the # before the channel name. This may fail if the channel requires a key to enter—in that case, if you know the key, just type it in after the channel name in the command—or if the channel has been set to invite-only, or if you have been banned.
 * /part #channel - Causes you to leave the provided channel. If you are using the CGI:IRC gateway, you should manually close the actual chat page using the grey X in the top-right of the page. Don't click the RED X that closes your internet browser!
 * /me emote - Causes you to send to the current channel an emote, along the lines of "Mynick emote". Example: if I am Spencemac724, "/me dances!" writes "* Spencemac724 dances!"
 * /whois user - Gathers the information of the specified user, including their ident, hostmask, and whether they are identified with NickServ or not.
 * /quit [message] - Disconnects you from the network. A quit message is also optional.

Please use the invite and mute flags sparingly. Mute may be used in certain cases to prevent spam before kicking the users who are spamming. Use all the administrator commands only in appropriate situations. Only kick users who have broken the chat policies. Only ban users who have repeatedly broken the chat policies, show no signs of improving, and do little but break the chat policies.