Handy list of IRC software:
As mentioned above,
Mibbit is a browser client... go to
http://mibbit.com/chat which should show this sign-in screen:
Select the yellow
Server link and type
irc.esper.net into the Server: field.
Type your chosen nick into the Nick: field.
Note, if you have a registered nick, you would enter: nick password
...nope that doesn't work, neither does nick,password -- I would have sworn it did at one time, but it doesn't now, I have to enter /ns id password (where password is my own password) after I sign in with just my nick.
Type
#absolutewrite into the Channel: field.
Then select the
Connect button.
Which should take you to the #AbsoluteWrite chat channel.
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Myself and several AW chatters use
IceChat:
http://www.icechat.net
Check out the "quickstart" page,
http://www.icechat.net/site/help/icechat-quickstart-guide/
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Firefox was formerly a plug-in started from within Firefox, but this stopped working with Firefox Quantum. However there's a standalone version which doesn't need to be started from within a browser.
I found it here:
http://chatzilla.rdmsoft.com/xulrunner/
I selected the (Windows Installer) version and this downloaded fine, and installed okay when I clicked on it in my Download folder.
A Chatzilla icon wasn't added to my desktop but when I selected Start > Programs, I could see Chatzilla, and ran it from there. (I've since right-clicked on the Chatzilla entry, selected copy, then pasted a shortcut to my desktop).
Once you run Chatzilla, you can enter a couple of commands to reach the #absolutewrite chat channel:
/server irc.esper.net
/join #absolutewrite
/nick yournickname where yournickname is your preferred nick in chat.
Or -- consider editing Chatzilla's preferences so these commands and other info like your username are run and supplied automatically. It's just a few simple steps, you only have to do them once.
Select menu
Chatzilla > Preferences
In the General tab, you can add your nick into the
Nickname: field.
Select the
Startup tab:
Scroll down to Locations, select the Add button, enter
irc://irc.starchat.net into the Prompt input box, select OK, then select the Apply button.
irc.starchat.net should appear under Global Settings. If it doesn't then you may have to stop Chatzilla, then restart it again.
Select the
irc://irc.starchat.net entry.
Select the
Lists tab:
Here in the Auto-perform field you can add a list of IRC commands (without the / in front of them) to save you having to enter them manually every time you run Chatzilla.
Select the Add button, enter
join #absolutewrite into the Prompt input box, select OK, then select the Apply button.
If you have registered your nick and have a password, you have the option to add it here also, e.g. select the Add button, enter
ns id password into the Prompt input box (where
password is, obviously, your own password), select OK, then select the Apply button. Also note, this password should match the nick you added into the Nickname: field in the General tab noted above.
When I stopped Chatzilla, and then restarted it again, I connected to irc://irc.starchat.net and joined #absolutewrite automatically.
Any problems with this, drop me a PM.
Just noting my personal preferences when using Chatzilla in case it helps you: the default white background hurts my eyes, I selected menu View > Color Scheme > Dark Motif and the background changed to black. Each to their own. The default text size was also too small for me, I held down Ctrl and hit + a couple of times to up the font size.
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Another popular IRC client is
mIRC:
http://www.mirc.com
Check out the "getting started" page,
http://www.mirc.com/install.html
mIRC has a 30-day trial period, then you're prompted to make a donation if you continue using the software, I believe, but this isn't mandatory. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Edit - Kate has corrected me, mIRC insisted on credit card details up front, this could be a change, this could be something I just didn't see before.
-Derek