Our channel is registered through [http://freenode.net/ freenode] and classifies as a [http://freenode.net/primary_groups.shtml primary], [http://freenode.net/policy.shtml#ontopic on-topic] channel because it is used to primarily talk about official work on the wiki. We are further classified as a [http://freenode.net/policy.shtml#ontopic Web Media] channel, as we are an online community reference site. You can find out more about freenode at [http://freenode.net/faq.shtml their frequently asked questions page].

In order to use IRC you must have an IRC client. This is, generally, a small piece of software installed locally on your computer. IRC is sometimes considered the grandfather of modern instant messaging. You may be more familiar with instant messaging using software packages like AOL, Yahoo!, or MSN Instant Messager.

You can easily find a [[Wikipedia:List of IRC clients|list of IRC clients]] available for your operating system. The following tutorial assumes you will be using ChatZilla as an extension to the Mozilla Firefox internet browser.

Step 1. '''Installing ChatZilla'''

# When you are done chatting /disconnect

* [http://www.irchelp.org/ irchelp.org] - Find help on getting started with IRC