Internet Relay Chat


Internet Relay Chat

(chat, messaging)(IRC) /I-R-C/, occasionally /*rk/ Aclient-server chat system of large (often worldwide)networks. IRC is structured as networks of Internetservers, each accepting connections from client programs,one per user.

The IRC community and the Usenet and MUD communitiesoverlap to some extent, including both hackers and regularfolks who have discovered the wonders of computer networks.Some Usenet jargon has been adopted on IRC, as have someconventions such as emoticons. There is also a vigorousnative jargon (see the entry for "chat").

The largest and first IRC network is EFNet, with a smallerbreakaway network called the Undernet having existed since1992, and dozens of other networks having appeared (andsometimes disappeared) since.

See also nick, bot, op.

Yahoo's IRC index.