TechSpot - PC Technology News and Analysis

0. Quick n Dirty

Server: irc.starchat.net
Channel: #3dspotlight

1. What is IRC and how do I use it?

The short and simple is IRC is a text-based chat system from the old days of computers. It's a protocol that is carried over TCP/IP, much like HTTP (which you are using to read this.) We talk about anything and everything in our room- from solving technical issues to new technologies to how stupid a post was to beer/sex/music to even weirder.

You can get onto IRC using many programs- some are free, others aren't. Almost every operating system has an IRC program. Favorites include mIRC, pIRCh, BitchX, IRCle, and X-Chat. Google to find a download. Also, the servers that we use provide a free java-based IRC client at:

http://www.starchat.net/chat/index.php

2. Ok, I got a program. Now what?

Configure the program to use irc.starchat.net as the server. For a nickname, chose anything you want. Some nicknames are already registered/taken, so you may have to rechoose. Usually you must set a nickname before you connect.

(Once you're online, you can change your nickname by typing "/nick NEWNAME".)

Note that certain names (anything using "serv", curse words, etc.) are banned.

After you connect to the server, you need to join our channel. Sometimes this is done in a popup box right after you connect, and sometimes you have to do it the hard way. To do that, type in "/join #3dspotlight". /join gets you into a room. #3dspotlight is our room (# is the sign for a room name.)

Chatting should be pretty intuitive- you'll have a box at the bottom of the room's window to type in. To say anything, just type there.

The people in the room are usually listed in a box to the left or right. Normal users just show their names. People with "Voice" have a + beside their name. You'll learn pretty quickly what that means once you're there. People who are operators in the room will usually have a @ beside their name. These are the folks who can kick or ban you, set the channel topic, etc. Some of the people there are just "bots" that take stats and so forth. Other people can be asleep like on AIM or whatever too, so if you don't get a response out of anyone it may just be a slow time of day.

3. Yeah...

There is no, and was never, any number 3. I think Didou or Poertner stole it.


4. What are the rules?

The rules are loosely based on those of Techspot. We frequently ignore them. You can do almost anything once. If it's bad enough, you may never do anything again.

basically:

*THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL PART OF TS. THE PEOPLE THERE RUN THE CHANNEL AS THEY PLEASE- THIS INCLUDES HOW THEY BEHAVE, HOW THEY TREAT YOU, AND HOW THEY BAN YOU*

• Act like a normal human being. Have a sense of humor. Or at least show from time to time that you are human, and act weird otherwise.
• No Warez. We trade files here and there, but if you walk in and start scooping warez not only will someone probably channel ban you, you might be banned from the server.
• We can be rude/crude/drunk/stupid/immature in the channel. If you are easily offended, Ask the offender to tone it down, or leave.
• YOU WILL BE KICKED. Take a sense of humor to it. If we MEAN it, you'll know. No one is exempt from the kick, not me, not sngx1275, StormBringer, or even Vehementi.
• CAPS LOCK ISN'T COOL IN IRC EITHER.

5. How do I???

To get IRC help, there are four basic ways to learn..

• Ask in the channel
• Read The Friggin Manual.
• Ask in #starchat, the network help channel
• Google.

The basics are:

/msg NICKNAME - a private message to someone.
/join #CHANNEL - join a room
/nick NEWNICK - Change your nickname
/me MESSAGE - Perform an action. You'll figure this one out quickly.
/ns command options - Do things with Nickname services, like register. HINT: "/ns help"


6. Still need help?

Either post here, Private message me, or join #starchat on the irc servers (depending on what you can do).

We're always glad to have new people around, feel free to drop by! Even if it's for a quick question or just to banter about something totally unrelated to computers or tech. And of course, we're always glad to attempt to help you with a real problem.

Phase 1 : Collect underpants
Phase 2 : ???
Phase 3 : Profit.

Yea but what's phase 2 ?

Some things are better left unknown.... :eek:

You forgot to say to keep away Poert's closet ( people go in & never come out ) & not to feed any of the animals in display ( no I'm not talking about me !!! ).

Hmm, last time I checked, I haven't been kicked in almost a month and a half...

Actually, Veh.. I booted you last night for your inability to distinguish between me and sngx in a picture. Then I temporarily banned you for not being able to distinguish me and Courtney.. which was a rather light punishment.

Oh yeah. I've been kicked once in a month and a half then. Not bad.

Your also statistically the most kicked invidividual ever on #3dspotlight with 671 kicks.

Runner up: AcidOsmosis with 176 kicks :-D


[16:10] * Vehementi was kicked by AcidOsmosis (and this makes 672)
[16:10] * Vehementi has joined #3dspotlight


Hehe.

Still doesn't matter. I've been kicked the least in the last month and a half among all the #3dspotlight regulars

We shall remedy that soon! Didou.. get your midget control weapons out, we have some huntin to do! And Storm.. be sure to turn your script on with selective wording.

You guys need to get a life outside of kicking me all day

Yeah we need to just shoot you in the foot instead.

Well, I decided to drop in tonight, and kept getting K-Lined. What gives. My name maybe? I changed my name and still no go. It said my IP and name was cached. Connection refused. Something about Ban Evasion, Racial Epithet, or Cursing, at least something like that. What can I do.

Or did you guys ban me? Just kidding, (I hope).

No we didn't ban you. I've had that happen to me before, but don't remember the cause or the fix. I hadn't done anythign wrong either.
Goalie is an IRCop on starchat so perhaps he'll look into it.

I will work with Olefarte in PM to resolve this.. ban evaders typically cause us to set broader bans, which eventually gets innocent people.

Bans are usually removed in a few hours to a few days, some are perm though.. as always feel free to PM me if you run into this issue. In general need to know your IP, Nickname, and ident. And also the number that precedes your disconnect/kill message.

Thanks Goalie for all your effort to solve this problem. You finally got it fixed today and I was able to connect.

Thanks again.

My pleasure. Now if more people would read this thread and (re)visit the channel slightly more often...

(And, if the stupid DSL would stay up... muttermutterbleepbleepSprintbleepmutterbleepretardsbleepbleep)

Every time I connect to #3ds.. my firewall (Agnitum Outpost Pro 2.5) makes a new 'rule' because the #3ds IP changes. Is this normal?
Is there a way to set it 'fix' on one of the given IPs?

Connect to a specific IRC server instead of the round-robin irc.starchat.net

You have two options: 1. Get a firewall with DNS capabilities so you can set up a rule for *.starchat.net or connect to a specific server as Nodsu says. The problem with that is some machines are in and out of DNS and changed a little more often than my underwear.

As a personal suggestion, I'd suggest using tariq.starchat.net (my server). That being said, I add the disclaimer that I intend to resign my position in the next month or two. However, this machine usually stays in DNS and has rare outages. I can think of one night and one weekend in the year that I've been the admin for the box that it's had retard syndrome. If you're in Europe, it's definately one of the better servers to connect to if you have the option.