Phoenix Network Forums

The following is my opinion and nothing more

IRC ~Then and Now

I remember the first time that I downloaded an irc client and connected to my very first server. I remember that server well, it was DALnet. Within the first 5 minutes of being connected to it I was overwhelmed with DCC Chat requests (I knew nothing of personal protections then). It was either the chats or my client disconnecting for no reason (found out that it was DoS attacks later down the road). There were thousands of people to talk to about every subject you could imagine. Then came the era of non-irc chat clients, and something started to happen, the irc userbase began a steady decline. Logging onto an irc server you could still find many people to talk to, though not as many, they were the diehard soldiers of IRC. Script wars started to phase out, the new targets being the new chat software. Fast-forward to today, you have the diehards, and some Scripters still fighting the good fight. Maybe I'm getting sentimentel in my later years, but I miss the days of chaos sometimes.

Well, I dont know if I have been using irc as long as you have, but I like it the way it is now. I find there's always someone to talk to in the channels im on, and someone is always wanting to play cs with me.

ahh nostalgia...
My first recollection of irc is very hazy. It was on a VAX console in 1992. I didn't really know what I was doing, I was just going through available commands and seeing what they did. I found Doctor Who first (also called robots) - of which I made a clone for the Amiga - yes, I liked it very much, although I think my version had a much better teleportation scheme. As far as networks go, usenet was the first cool thing I found, it was easy enough to work out, but irc....that was weird. I have no idea what server I eventually connected to. One thing I do remember though was sitting on a server for ages without any clue as to what was meant to happen next. I didn't know what channel to go to, I didn't even know that there were channels, and that I could list them until after a long time of fumbling about, trying all available commands.

I have come a long way since then - i now know the /list command - lol. These new fangled GUIs
make the whole thing a lot easier though

i can't remember when i started with IRC but it was ages ago. the first server i was on was also dalnet. though i luckily never had dos attacks or anything at me. the more i got to know IRC the funnier it got, after a while ppl did started dos attacks on me but since then i was protected enough against it. since now i'm mostly on quakenet.org and 1 or 2 other servers ppl still try to get me flooded of the server or any other ways they can. but i've got full protection on and some nice designed script to send something back to them ^^.

Sounds like the old days pwned now. I've only been using irc since i was about 12 im 16 now so for about 4 years. It's still fun but it sounds like it was much better a long while ago o_o. Only server i really go onto is rsirc tho lol :p only server i actually like staying on most other i go on arnt that good so i leave.

What can i say. More and more ppls get internet connections at home so more ppls comming to IRC to meet some friends new ppls with new opinions to chat in free time :-) etc.

Umm It Has Been a very long time for me Talbas2001,and yes it has changed ALOT, but thats also a good thing, most people dont liek suddent changes, lol but this wasnt really suddent but you look at it from now back to then it has been a pretty huge difference, <--lol-->Okay, but, i've gotten to like how IRC now, its more better and reliable

started abt 8-9 yrs ago. there were ALOT fewer spams and drones attacks and more interesting people to chat with. before irc however, it was the ol' skool bbs.

The last version I can remember downloading of mIRC was 5.3 or something. And that was an upgrade to what I was using before that. I wasn't into much of the scripting so much as the warez. Those were the days, when you had to build a repoir with folks before you got anything. Ah, and the ftp servers full of junk. I miss those days.

although i have not been on irc that long but when i started chatting i think it was the era of nukes not to mention floods.. sigh... was a teenager back then.. and almost evrybody was on 98. lol.

it was fun though...

If you really think about it, everybody had the same begin in using IRC, but the times are different. My cousin installed an mIRC client in my computer in 99. I started using it since that time, chatting in one channel in DALnet. I left it for about 3 years, and then came back to it, but it was closed by DALnet's administration. So I left the IRC again . I came back in summer 2004, and that channel was opened. That was when my friend told me that I could register my nickname, but at that time DALnet wasn't as it was. People changed and nobody used to chat like when I first connected. I stayed for some time and visited some other channels and networks, but it's getting worse and worse.

i starting IRC'ing in my highschool year days (1998). it's really the first thing i really enjoy aside from enjoying also the telnet chat. i start to learn unix .. when i really drug with IRC .. hehe. i start to make a channel for our group then later ask .. i didnt know about eggdrop .. like popping up questions.. whats the best BOT for channel? they keep answering eggdrop and that. hell i know about this. anyway.. to make it short.. this unix eggdrop stuff.. make way for my learning to unix then linux and the rest is history. i'm now happy with my linux desktop. IRC keeps me updated .. its like its my world. it's my techie support if i have problem with my PC. just go to any techie channel and just ask.

I was 14 when i started chattin at mIRC. A friend told me to check it out and meet new friends all over the world. Got addicted to it. Then at college, I found out about channel access at Undernet got even more addicted. That was the time when i knew about eggdrop,bouncers and encountered DoS attacks. There was even a time wherein I'd prefer to stay at home just to chat than to be at school

Up to now, I'm still addicted

i started with IRC long, long time ago. I remember the first time i tried it, hooked up my V.32 (9600 bps) to the telephone line, loged into a server not having a clue what i was doing...nervous incase some hacker was waiting to cybermug me or i was going to end up calling Siberia or Outer Mongolia at £10 a second.
It was all actually very easy and pain free....but then started the long sleepless nights....fun

yup irc is now some how easy to use then in earlier years . but still i hate irc when some one sends packtes to me and make me dc . but ilve irc and cant stay away from it . so keep hopes alive one day we 'll find a way to fight against these lammers