irc.html

---
title: IRC
---

<div class="noticebox">
  <h2>Want to join HackSoc? a good place to start is joining the chat!</h2>
  <h3>Slack</h3>
  <p>You can join the chat <a href="https://hacksoc-york.slack.com/signup">on slack</a> with your @york.ac.uk email address. Or email <a href="mailto:hack@yusu.org">hack@yusu.org</a> to request access.</p>
  <h3>IRC</h3>
  <p>We have an IRC channel, connected to slack. You can join the chat using freenode <a href="http://webchat.freenode.net?channels=hacksoc">web chat</a>
  (<strong>#hacksoc</strong> on <strong>irc.freenode.net</strong>)</p>
  <p>There is also the #cs-york channel, also <a href="http://webchat.freenode.net?channels=cs-york">on freenode</a>. This is not hacksoc's channel, but it is a great place to chat about CS stuff. Many hacksoc members also hang around there.
  (<strong>#cs-york</strong> on <strong>irc.freenode.net</strong>)</p>
</div>

<p>Our chat system of choice is slack. It's easy to use, fully-featured and modern. But we have kept the option of using IRC by connecting our slack channel to our freenode channel.</p>
<p>IRC, or Internet Relay Chat, is a protocol with a long and glorious
history stretching back into the mists of time. It's a pretty simple
system for online chatrooms, and you don't even need a special program
to connect to it, although they do exist.</p>

<ol>
  <li>You don't need a special program: see the <a href="http://webchat.freenode.net?channels=hacksoc">web chat</a></li>

  <li>You don't talk to individuals on a contact list, you join channels: a group of people talking about the same topic.</li>

  <li>When you start up a client you'll have to connect to a server and channel. We use <strong>#hacksoc</strong> on <strong>irc.freenode.net</strong></li>

  <li>You can change your name with <code>/nick new_name</code>, and join a new channel with <code>/join #channel_name</code></li>
</ol>

<h2>Rules</h2>

<ol>
  <li>Bots are welcome. As long as they don't produce spam.</li>
  <li>Hacksoc reserves the right to kick humans or bots at any time.</li>
</ol>