IRC Tips
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is an old technology that allows people to create and join chat rooms (known as #channels), and have group conversations. People can also send and reply to private messages, and much more. IRC can be very confusing for new users, so these IRC tips should help you get up to speed quickly.
Channels can have moderators, known as Channel Operators (normally referred to as Ops, formally known as ChanOps), who can be recognized by having an “@” symbol next to their nicknames, e.g. @Sally.
Ops try to maintain order the best they can, but IRC is an old technology, and there's only so much they can do. People can still cause all kinds of trouble for you, mostly in the realms of harassment and denial-of-service style attacks. You should read Protect Yourself on IRC before continuing.
Here is a link you can follow to learn how to connect to the Undernet. This uses the Windows IRC client mIRC, but the basics apply to any IRC client software. https://www.undernet.org/docs/how-to-connect-to-irc-version-2
Common Commands
/ignore nickname
The very first IRC command that you should learn is very simple: /ignore. We'll talk more about connecting to IRC, finding good clients and getting them set up. But first, knowing how and when to use /ignore is critical to a good IRC experience.
Note: Use /ignore if someone is bothering you with private messages. It's not necessary to bother an Op for that. Just /ignore the nickname and move on.
/ignore does what it says. It tells your IRC client (the software you use to connect to IRC) to literally ignore anyone else on IRC. Using it is simple. Just type: /ignore nickname, where nickname is the user that you want to ignore. The default ignore behavior is to simply ignore that nickname, quite literally, by ignoring the host mask nickname!*@* (host masks will be discussed in more detail elsewhere).
Some IRC client software takes this further, by allowing you to specify how to ignore that person. Check your client's Help files for more info. I use mIRC on Windows, and it lets me choose specifically how to ignore someone, by using switches, e.g. /ignore -p nickname, which ignores private messages. There are many other switches available (see the link below). I can also tell mIRC to use a specific host mask type, e.g. /ignore nickname 3, which would result in the following mask: *!~ident@the.user.host or *!~ident@ip.address.here. The benefit of using a type mask is that if the user changes their nickname, they can once again harass you. With this mask, their nickname is not even considered.
It's usually a bad idea to use /ignore on Ops (@nickname) – you want to hear what they have to say so you don't inadvertently break any rules. If Ops are harassing you, you probably don't want to be in that channel anyway!
Here is a list of the available types to use with /ignore (/ignore nickname type):
The available types are:
0: *!user@host
1: *!*user@host
2: *!*@host
3: *!*user@*.host
4: *!*@*.host
5: nick!user@host
6: nick!*user@host
7: nick!*@host
8: nick!*user@*.host
9: nick!*@*.host
You really don't need to worry about the type just yet – using /ignore nickname will solve most of your problems.
Here's a list of all the switches you can use with /ignore:
https://en.wikichip.org/wiki/mirc/commands/ignore
Lastly, mIRC keeps a list of all of your /ignore commands. If you want to remove someone from the list, simply type /ignore -r nickname. The -r tells mIRC to remove the ignore. If you simply ignored the nickname, this will always work. If you used a type mask, you will need to specify that again, as in: /ignore -r nickname 3.
You can also click on the Address Book icon (6th from the left), choose the Control Tab, set the drop down to Ignore, then select the address from the list and click Delete.
/list
/list lets you obtain a list of current channels (#channelname) on and IRC network. On Undernet it's very straightforward. Simply type /list in your status window and watch it populate with the current channels.
If you are using mIRC as your client, you can also click the Channels icon (4th from the left, a page with a #), and then choose Get List. The next text box, labeled Text with an Apply button, will let you search the list of channels. Clicking Apply with the Text box empty will restore the original, entire list. There are a few other options that are self-explanatory.
Once you see a channel you want to check out, you have more options.
In mIRC, right-clicking on a channel name pops up a menu. This right-click functionality works everywhere in mIRC, not only in the channel list. As an example, if someone posts a #channelname in a message, you can right-click it there and get a similar menu. The most useful options are Join Channel, List Channel Users, and Show Channel Topic.
Join Channel will open the channel in a new window, where you can see the current users in the list, and also see the channel operators, if any, identified by the format @nickname.
List Channel Users will show a list of people currently in the channel, as long as they aren't set to hide that information from outside the channel. Look at User Modes (+i – invisible) to learn more: https://www.undernet.org/help/faq_usermodes.php
Show Channel Topic does just that – it can be useful to determine the actual purpose or usage of the channel. It may not match the channel name.
You'll find that many channels are havens for bots, jokers and scammers. Channels that seem innocuous and helpful may not be. For example, the channel #toronto has nothing to do with the beautiful city of Toronto. Caveat Emptor!
/join and /part #channelname
Now that you can find channels, and know how to use /ignore, you can /join channels. You can join by clicking a #channelname in the channels /list, or, simply type /join #channelname in the status window (or any open window's) text area.
If you decide the channel is not for you, simply close the window and you will be removed from the channel. Or, type /part in the channel's text area, or type /part #channelname in any window text area.
/whois nickname
/whois can be a very useful tool. It will show you some info about a specific nickname. To use it, simply type /whois nickname in any text area (status window or channel, etc).
Here's a sample /whois output:
[12:04] nickname is ~ident@ip.address.or.host * so-called realname info
[12:04] nickname on #channel1 #channel2 #channel3
[12:04] nickname using *.undernet.org The Undernet Underworld
[12:04] nickname End of /WHOIS list.
I've changed the actual nickname to “nickname”, as well as changed the host info and the channel info.
The important parts of this is the ident and hostmask: nickname is ~ident@ip.address.or.host
This is what you would report to an Op (channel operator) or an IRCop if you have any trouble from this person. It's usually best to include the entire /whois output, including the current channels.
You should understand that any/all of that host info can be faked or “spoofed”. However, the IRCop/ChanOp can still use that data to take any appropriate action against the offender.
Note: you can use your whois info to give a hint to anyone looking. If you are into a certain style or roleplay, you can add that to the “realname” field – the string to the right of the host address/IP. You can use up to 50 characters there on Undernet. You can put statements, like “No Roleplay!”, or hints like “I like RP with dominant men” or whatever you want to say.
/notify <nickname>
/notify lets you add a nickname to your client, and your client will check for that nickname on a regular schedule. When it finds it online, it will notify you. It's not exactly real-time, but very close. In mIRC, there is a dedicated Notify List in my left sidebar area. It makes it very easy to see which of my friends are online when I first join. Without Notify, you might never know a friend came on, unless they joined the channel you are in, and you just happened to notice.
I use Notify for my channel bots as well, so I can see if one goes offline while I'm not in their channels.
To add a nickname, simply type /notify nickname. To remove a nickname, type /ignore -r nickname. You can also right-click on a name in your nicklist and add it to Notify. There are a few less-then-useful option available – check your IRC client's help file for specifics. One option I do like to use is the comment feature. I can type /notify nickname put whatever you want here, and when that nickname comes online, you'll your comment along with the other info. It's very helpful to copy and paste the user's host address after the nickname, since anyone on Undernet could be using that nickname. In mIRC, your status window will show nicks and addresses like this: Joins #channelname: nickname (~androirc@xxx.xx.xxx.xxx) (Options -> Short Joins and Parts). You can just copy everything from the nickname to the end and paste that after /notify, then add any detail you want, like this:
/notify nickname (~androirc@xxx.xx.xxx.xxx) asked me how to use the notify command, then disconnected
When that nick comes back on, I'll see the whole line. There's also an option setting for “Whois on Notify”, so I see the current nickname's actual address at the same time. Very handy!
/topic #channelname
/topic will return the Channel Topic, assuming one is set. This can be very helpful in determining the main subject or subjects of the channel. Sometimes these differ significantly from the channel name. The topics may also list some channel rules, or other resources like a web site about the channel.
/names #channelname
The /names command will return a partial list of users currently in that channel. I say “partial” because it will not show users who have /mode +i set (invisible). The only way to see them in a channel is to join the channel itself. It's a very good idea to list the user names before entering a new channel – the nicknames can give you insight into the actual channel purpose.
/away <message>
/away <message> will set you as being away. What does that mean? Two things will happen while away. If someone messages you they will receive a message saying YourNick is away: <your message>. Also, if someone does a /whois on your nickname, they will see an additional line that looks like this – assume I typed /away making lunch – leave me a message:
mr_right is away: making lunch – leave me a message
When you come back, simply type /away all by itself to clear your “away” status.