Codex

IRC

There is more than one way to get help with WordPress. Besides the WordPress Forum, there is also a live chat help on the IRC network irc.freenode.net, where you can seek WordPress related help, or just hang out with fellow WordPress users. This page seeks to be a quick rundown of what IRC is, and how to log in to the #wordpress channel. For more answers to questions about how to use the #wordpress channel, see WordPress IRC Live Help.

WordPress also offers help and support for volunteers working on the WordPress Codex at IRC FreeNode #wordpress-docs channel.

In June 2006, the WordPress ThemeViewer made it's debut along with the IRC FreeNode #wp-themes channel.

Contents

Overview

Internet Relay Chat, or IRC, is the precursor to both instant messaging and contemporary browser-based chatrooms like those found on Yahoo!, MSN, and innumerable other web sites. It is one of the best ways to get help fast, but it's also a swell way to hang out and become part of the WordPress community.

To participate, you need an IRC client. Once configured and installed, point it to irc.freenode.net and connect. You'll need to choose a nickname, and then "join" the #wordpress channel.

IRC Channel Rules

These are some specific "do nots" for the IRC channel. There are of course, many other things that you should not do, and they all fall in the realm of having good judgement. If its going to upset people, don't do it, or don't say it.

  • Do not karma spam
  • Do not add rude, upsetting, or harmful things to other people's $defs
  • Don't flood, pastebin code longer than 3 lines
  • Generally don't troll
  • Keep the language about PG-13. Nobody's going to throw a fit with some occasional language, but there's no need to type like a sailor.

IRC Client Applications

Quick Usage Tutorials

ChatZilla for Moz Browsers

If you use Firefox, you can use the chat extension called ChatZilla. Activate Chatzilla and click on the URL [1] to take you directly to the WordPress IRC channel.

PJIRC, a Java client for your browser

Don't want to install an IRC client and just want to ask a quick question on IRC? Well if you have Java installed, then you can use a script called PJIRC.

If you don't have a website or just don't want to upload it to your site, a public install of it can be found right here thanks to Viper007Bond.

mIRC in Windows

One of the best (and oldest) applications for accessing IRC is called mIRC, available at http://www.mirc.com. While there are many other IRC applications available for Windows (as well as other operating systems), this tutorial will focus on mIRC, due to the popularity of both Windows and mIRC.

Download the software, and follow the instructions for installation. It's pretty much a matter of double-clicking on the app's setup icon once downloaded, and letting it do its thing. Once installed, double-click on the mIRC icon on your desktop. Click on the Continue button. This in turn will lead to a popup window called Options. (If it doesn't do this automatically, simply go to View in the toolbar, then Options. Use the slider bar on the left to scroll up to the top of the list, which says Connect.)

On the Connect screen, you need to fill in the Full Name and Email Address fields. (You can put anything here, as long as it's something.) For Nickname and Alternative, enter a name. This will be your display name once you're in a channel (IRC terminology analogous to chat room.)

Under Connect on the left-side options menu, select Servers. For IRC Network, select 'FreeNode' from the dropdown list. Allow IRC Server to remain FreeNode: Random server. Click on Connect to Server.

Upon connection to the server, mIRC will popup a window called Favorites. Here you can do two things:

  1. Enter #wordpress into the field that says Enter a Channel Name. Click Join, and you're in! The disadvantage to this is that you'll have to manually type in the channel name each time you want to join it. To permanently add the #wordpress channel to your list of favorites: click on 'Add'. Enter #wordpress in the 'Channel' field. You can also type in a description if you like. Nothing else needs to be altered. Click on 'OK'. You should now see #wordpress on your list of favorites. Simply highlight the channel, click 'Join', and once again, you're in!
  2. Alternately, you may also type /join #wordpress from the command line.

IRC Resources

Retrieved from "http://codex.wordpress.org/IRC"

Codex Resources