*** ANSWERMAN INTERNET EXTRA *** For the week of January 13, 1997 This is the weekly newsletter for the community of Internet users on America Online. This week, AnswerMan's Focus is Internet Relay Chat. =*=*= IN THIS ISSUE =*=*= Free Book of the Week -- The Online World Handbook AnswerMan's Update -- Internet Relay Chat Upcoming Weekly Focus & Chats -- What's coming up The End -- How to contact us or unsubscribe =*=*= WHAT YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK WITH ANSWERMAN =*=*= Go to keyword: For: AM FOCUS Links to all manner of Net stuff, neatly categorized ANSWERMAN Member web sites, daily tips, more good stuff NET HELP Get quick help for your Internet questions NET TUTORIAL Clueless about the Internet? Start here! AM CHAT Read transcripts of Internet chats that you missed AM GLOSSARY RTFM to decrypt that Internet jargon Here are direct links for AOL 3.0 users: Go to keyword AnswerMan AnswerMan Focus Net Tutorial =*=*= FREE BOOK OF THE WEEK =*=*= Did you know that there are free books about the Internet, on the Internet? These books are available in digital format on the Web, in their entirety, for free. (Most of these books are also available in traditional printed format, for a price. This is more expensive than the online version but easier to read while you're on the bus or in the bath.) For the next several weeks, AnswerMan will be highlighting one of these online books. This week's pick is The Online World Handbook by Odd de Presno. Most online books about the Internet are unchanging -- someone puts them on the Web, where they slowly and inexorably become obsolete. The Online World Handbook is a notable exception to the norm. It's an expansive and easy-to-read book about all things Internet, and its updated constantly. Now in its 19th edition, the Handbook offers practical tips and countless specific suggestions on how you can use the Net. The Online World Handbook is shareware -- just as with shareware software, the author would like you to pay if you use the resource. Highlights include: Hobbies, games, and fun -- online adventure games, planning travel, genealogy, music, shopping and other leisure activities Home, education, and work -- tips for house owners, electronic conferences, working from home Your personal healthnet -- support for diseases, forums for people with physical or mental disabilities Free expert assistance -- how to get free advice about your computer, software, and profession Your electronic daily news -- national and global news, background facts, special interest news To get to this and the other 27 free online books, go to keyword AM FOCUS and press the "Free Books" button. Here is a direct link for AOL 3.0 users: Free Books =*=*= ANSWERMAN'S UPDATE -- Internet Relay Chat =*=*= by Kevin Savetz (AnswerMan) This week's focus is Internet Relay Chat, or IRC. If you've hung out in AOL's chat rooms at all, you understand the concept of chatting -- communicating with a group of other members who are online at the same time. IRC also allows real-time communication by typing. I don't recommend IRC for Internet newbies -- for maximum enjoyment and minimum frustration, you should be familiar with the basics (such as the Web, downloading and navigating AOL) before you try your hand at IRC. -.-.- About IRC -.-.- Internet Relay Chat bears a resemblance to AOL's People Connection chat, but in many ways it is very different. IRC chat is not limited to AOL members: IRC can be accessed by everyone on the Internet. This offers advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, you can chat with friends and family who aren't AOL users. You can make new friends who aren't on AOL. On the negative side, IRC isn't as easy to learn to use as AOL chat rooms. On the depends-on-your-feelings-on-the-matter side, since IRC takes place on the Internet, not AOL, there are no room guides, and no Terms of Service restrictions on IRC. Anything goes on IRC, but if you don't like it there may not be much you can do about it. IRC is broken into "channels" (similar to what are called "rooms" on AOL chat.) Once you get the hang of IRC, you can be on more than one channel at a time. But there are no member profiles with IRC as are available with AOL chat. And hoo-boy, if you thought there were a lot of people in AOL chat rooms, you'll be boggled by the crowd in IRC. This is probably the feature that most often makes people either love IRC or hate it: there are lots of people, tons of channels, and no crowd control. But on IRC you can talk about anything. If you can think of a topic, chances are good that you can find a channel where others are talking about that subject. IRC features thousands of simultaneous conversiations. And if you need help, don't worry -- the folks on IRC tend to be helpful, and there are channels dedicated to assisting IRC newbies. The IRC software is not built into America Online. The Web browser, e-mail and other tools are built right into your AOL software, but IRC isn't. So if you want to use IRC, you'll have to download and install special client software. This isn't rocket science, but it's one reason that IRC isn't for Net newbies. -.-.- Windows Users -.-.- Windows AOL users have to perform three steps to use IRC for the first time. After that first time, using IRC is much easier. 1) Make sure you're using AOL 3.0. (You can use IRC with AOL 2.5, but it's more complicated, and 3.0 is oh-so-much nicer.) If you don't have AOL 3.0 yet, go to keyword UPGRADE to get it, pronto. 2) You need to download and install an IRC client, the program that gives you access to the IRC interface. There are several IRC programs out there -- you can use just about any of them. The one that all my Windows-usin' friends seem to like best is called mIRC, which you can download from the Web site http://mirc.stealth.net/. Press "download" and make sure you get the 16-bit version, even if you use Windows 95. After you download the program, you need to install it. You should find the file mirc472s.exe in the DOWNLOAD directory under your AOL30 directory. Find and run the program. It will install on your computer. 3) Now, you can use mIRC. Make sure you're logged in to AOL (log back on if you logged off for the installation) then run the mIRC program. (You should find MIRC.EXE in C:\MIRC.) You'll see a welcome screen, then the setup screen. There's a big list of IRC servers -- most IRC servers DON'T work with AOL, you have to use one of the few that do. So scroll down and click on the one that says "EFNet; US; America Online". In the boxes below, type your real name, e-mail address, a nickname (be creative--IRC nicknames need to be unique) and an alternate nickname (in case someone else already has your creative name.) Click OK, and you'll be chatting with IRC in a moment. -.-.- Macintosh Users -.-.- 1) Make sure you're using AOL 3.0. IRC won't work with AOL for Mac version 2.anything. If you don't have AOL 3.0 yet, go to keyword UPGRADE to get it, posthaste. 2) Now you need to download and install an IRC client, the program that gives you access to the IRC interface. There are a couple of good IRC programs out there -- you can use just about any of them. The one I like best is called IRCle. You can download IRCle from the Web site http://www.xs4all.nl/~ircle/. After it has been downloaded, uncompress the file with StuffIt Expander. You'll find a folder called IRC on your hard drive, and in it, the IRCle program. 3) Make sure you're logged in to AOL then run the IRCle program. After the welcome screen, pick Preferences->Startup from IRCle's File menu. In the Server field, choose OTHER SERVER, then enter "irc02.irc.aol.com" in the field. (There's a big list of IRC servers -- but most IRC servers DON'T work with AOL, you have to use one of the few that do.) Now enter your nickname (be creative--IRC nicknames need to be unique), a username and your real name in the provided fields and press OK. Finally, choose OPEN CONNECTION from your FILE menu and you'll be connected to the IRC server. -.-.- Using IRC -.-.- IRC is a powerful tool -- there are many commands, but only a few that the beginner needs to know. When you start IRC, you'll need to join a channel -- to choose a subject, and join some people who may actually be talking about that subject. You can join a channel by picking "Join" from the Commands menu. Scroll through them -- there are usually hundreds, sometimes thousands of channels. After you've joined a channel, anything that you type will be seen by everyone else on that channel. Don't be shy -- say hello. You'll see your salutation echo back in the main IRC window, preceded by your chosen nickname. With any luck, someone will say hello to you. I can't get into all the IRC commands -- but I'll tell you about some Web pages that offer great, detailed information about using mIRC and IRCle. Windows users should visit the mIRC Info Center at http://mirc.stealth.net/. Mac users should head over to the IRCle home page at http://www.xs4all.nl/~ircle/. And everyone should read the Internet Relay Chat FAQ at http://www.kei.com/irc.html. For more information about using IRC, you can go to keyword AM FOCUS and choose "Internet Relay Chat" from the list. IRC is a big system. It takes some time to get used to. You may love IRC, or you may hate it. I don't know if it's better that other chat forums, but IRC does have a lot to offer Internet users. You can find small cozy chat sessions or join a huge online party with dozens of other participants. Here are direct links for AOL 3.0 users: AnswerMan Focus: More IRC information AnswerMan Community Center mIRC Info Center IRCle home page Internet Relay Chat FAQ =*=*= THE WEEKLY FOCUS & CHAT =*=*= Every Sunday, AnswerMan hosts a live chat to close out that week's Focus topic. Here's what's coming this Sunday, January 19, at 6 PM ET: Using Internet Relay Chat: Internet Relay Chat -- IRC -- is a staple of Internet communications. Learn how to get started with IRC and ask your questions during this informative chat. Every week, AnswerMan focuses on a particular facet of using the Internet. Here are the Weekly Focus topics we'll be covering in the near future: Jan 20 - Jan 26: Internet Phone Jan 27 - Feb 2: Streaming Audio Here is a direct link for AOL 3.0 users: AnswerMan Chat and Transcripts. =*=*= THE END =*=*= That's all for this week. Got comments about this newsletter? We want to hear them! Send 'em to AnswerMan. The e-mail address is "AnswerMan@aol.com". We would hate to see you go, but if you must leave, there are two easy ways to unsubscribe yourself from this newsletter. You can use either. #1: Send an e-mail message -- To: LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM Subject: UNSUBSCRIBE Body: UNSUBSCRIBE ANSWERMAN #2: For AOL 3.0 users only: Click here then press "Unsubscribe". Copyright 1997 by America Online. All rights reserved. This newsletter is closed-captioned for the hearing impaired.