Jul 17, 2001 10:17 AM
5019 Views
Wow I can't believe no one has written about MIRC. This has to be one of the best chat programs out there today it has been around for a while. It offers the most functionality of any Chat program available today.
I started using MIRC about 4 or 5 years ago and I fell in love with it. The program offers the ability to choose any nickname or alias you want and to change it at anytime during your chat session. It allows you to send and recieve files through a DCC connection or a direct link from your computer to someone elses. Best of all MIRC is free, if you like it you can send in money and register it but it is not required.
Mirc offers an unlimited amount of chat rooms and servers for you to sign onto. last count I think there are over 100 servers you can sign onto. all these servers are run independt around the world. Once you download (about 1meg) and install the program you are presented with all your config options, though these can be overwhelming at first if you take the time and read they are all explanitory.
First thing to do is pick a Nick Name or Alias, this is how you wil be seen on MIRC. the ability to change your alias at any time on MIRC has to be one of the most exciting features there is. With just a simple command you can change your name. along with this command you can register your Alias if you like itand keep it forever. you supply a password for it and each time you sign on you will have to identify to the server with your password.. if it is not your name or someone else tries to use your name the server gives 1 minute to supply the password and then it changes the name to a guest alias.
As well as the ability to change your name at will and register a permanent name, you can also use colors or popup scripts that allow you to type in diff colors or even draw pictures in the channel (chat rooms are called channels) you are currently active. Unlike most chat programs MIRC allows you to talk in MORE than 1 chat room at a time, this meaning you can be in 100 different chat rooms at the same time with up to 999 people in each chat room.
Once in a channel you can preform various task, you have a buddy list to add your favorite people to, you can enable a URL catcher so that when anyone types a URL or there is a URL in a topic the chat client will grab and save that URL for later use. Along with these features you have an unlimited amount of chat rooms to choose from anywhere from 1 to 10,000 and thats just on ONE server , there are well over 100 servers to log into DALNET being the most popular with the most users. once in a channel you can double click on any user na,e to start a PRIVATE chat with that person so you can speak one on one, or you can start a DCC chat wich is a highly secure DIRECT connection between your computer and thiers. This DCC method is also how you send and recieve files , as you recieve files you can set certain files like all picture files or all programs to go into certain folders and even run them or view them as soon as they are recieved.
I mentioned popups and scripts earlier, what these ADD ONS do for mirc is take some of the tedious commands and put them into easy pull down menus. you can find all the popups and scripts at https://mircscripts.com . You can even write your own popups and scripts and it is fairly easy as the help file that comes with MIRC details how to write your own. But dont get to Happy making your pictures and automated responses in the channel in each channel or chat room there are what is called OPS or operators, these people run the channel and inforce the rules of the channel. they have the abbility to Kick you out , Ban you from the channel all together, give you a voice or take away your voice, they also set the topics of the channel. Every Channel picks there own operators, some do this by voting them in or just because your friends. There are 3 levels of OPS or operators ... #1 The founder #2 SOP or Super Operator #3 AOP or Auto Operator. The founder is the head guy he has the password for the channel and can identify with the channel passowrd at anytime to gain control of it to close it completely or to add SOPS.(only the founder can ADD SOPS) Next is the SOP they can Assign AOPS to any member or take them away but they cannot assign SOPS or take away SOPS only the founder can. and last but not least the AOP they can give Voices and Temporary OPS to a user but the user looses the OPS given to them once they leave. only Founder and SOP can give perm ops.
Voices allow people to speak in a moterated channel. Some of the MIRC help channels have over 300 people all asking for HELP, in these channels they are moderated allowing only people with a voice to speak so the channel does not turn into a jumble of words everywhere. Some channels use voices to denote MALE or FEMALE user. a voice in a MIRC channel is displayed as a + beside your alias.
Anyone can log onto MIRC and make there OWN channel and name this channel anything they like. if they register the channel the channel will stay on the server untill they drop it or unregister the channel. Once you make a channel you can assign SOPS and AOPS to anyone you choose.
Also on MIRC are what they call FSERVES, these channels allow you to join and use an @locator comman to search for anything you can think of from Music to Movies to Programs. Once you find an Fserve that has what you want they will display a TRIGGER word to the channel type this trigger word in the channel and they will establish a DCC chat session with you thus allowing you access to thier hard drive. but only to certain folders they specify. You browse through these folders and download from them anything they have posted. This is almost like Napster but the files are not limited to MP3's but any kind of file.
I mentioned Servers a while ago, each server has its own set of chat rooms created by its members. There are well over 100 servers out there. but your not limited to that, if you have the time , and hardware you can run your own IRC server right off your own PC at home.
This Program has MANY MANY more options that I cannot list here but it is worth a try .. I reccomend you read the help file to learn some of the basic commands and I reccomend you sign onto a Dalnet server or Efnet server as these have the most user and most HELP channels.
