| How would you like to
chat to people all over the world for the price of a local phone call? Internet Relay Chat is a bit like CB Radio for the Internet
. Choose a server to connect to, pick a nickname, connect and find a room with some people
in it. Start typing - hit send and hey presto everyone in that room can instantly see what
you’ve typed.
The beauty is that none knows who you are - you can
choose your identity. Your e-mail address will appear when you connect to the room and
unlike in newsgroups people will know you are lurking - but hey, who says you have to type
your real address in the preferences. Pick a nickname which is neutral especially if
you’re a lass, as the attention can be pretty boring after a while. Unless
that’s what you want of course. And remember lads - the 20 year old blonde bombshell
you’re chatting up may well be a bald salesman in the States called Bob.
There’s a lot of Internet transsexuals out
there, you can go from a 25F to 25M in a keystroke. You may well also find yourself
developing multiple personalities. There are no physical or visual preconceptions, though
you may well be sent the odd photo. You may even be sent some very odd photos, but you
don’t have to look at them and you can always disconnect if things get a bit steamy.
You can often tell the content and conversational
tone of rooms by the name. I Join a channel like #newbie or #friendlychat to
practice your
conversational skills first. I usually find that the level of conversation in the room is
never particularly highbrow, the fun really starts when you start chatting with somebody
on a one-to-one basis. Or a few people on a one-to one-basis. Things can get quite hectic
when you are talking to more than one person at a time but it’s a great way to
practice your typing and an even better way to learn a new language.
It’s the only medium in which you can read and
write a language as you would speak it with all the slang and idiosyncrasies. There are
plenty of rooms talking in languages other than English, but a large percentage
of people
on IRC are American. The Australians seem to be heavy users too. It’s funny that when
you chat on IRC, even though there are people literally from across the globe - you are
pleased when you come across a Brit. A bit like traveling I suppose.
It’s also a cheap way of chatting to friends
or family who are abroad. If you both connect to the same server (or group of servers) and
join the same room at the same time, you can chat to each other for the price of a local
phone call. That’s only 60p for an hour at weekend.
There are times when it all gets a bit quiet, (when
America is asleep), and there are times when it’s very hectic. In the busier rooms it
can be nigh on impossible to work who’s saying what to who sometimes. Some rooms have
their obvious regulars, and there are plenty of cases of people ‘meeting’
through IRC and eventually marrying.
Initially IRC can be wildly addictive, but the
effects wear off quickly. I don’t dive in very often these days as I find it quite
insubstantial, though a bit of flirting can be fun. It’s frivolous, you can make some
cool virtual friends, and it’s the most convenient way to have a temporary sex
change.
Helen Rees |
