IRC Mode

To use ChatNet as an IRC (Internet Relay Chat) client you must have access to the Internet through a direct  Internet connection or a SLIP or PPP connection through an Internet service provider. Your Macintosh must have either Mac TCP or Open Transport network driver installed. This manual makes no attempt to explain settings or setups for an Internet connection. This information should be available through your Internet provider.

A welcome to ChatNet login screen appears when ChatNet is launched. It will look similar to this one without any information entered. To use ChatNet as an IRC client follow the steps below: 

IRC Login 

Step 1. Set the Mode pop-up menu (above Nickname) to IRC if not already set through Preferences. 

Step 2. Type a nickname in the Nickname box. Nicknames must be unique and are usually limited to 9 characters. If ChatNet identifies someone else using that nickname when a connection is made to an IRC server, you will be prompted to change to a different name. 

Step 3. Type your real  name,  e-mail address, homepage URL, or some other information in the User Info box. User Info is included as part of your Whois information (Whois is described in detail later in this section). The User Info information may be controlled through ChatGuardian to automatically enter either the Computer Owner Name or Mac Manager user login name (refer to User Preferences-ChatNet User Name).  

Step 4. From the Server pop-up menu (below User Info) select an IRC server (refer to Preferences-IRC Servers).

Step 5. Click the Login button. 

After clicking the login button, a number of steps are performed and displayed as they occur. If an error is encountered, a message is displayed and login can be tried again. If failure continues, try changing the IRC server selected to a different choice. Be sure that you are properly connected to the Internet and have properly entered the address of the IRC server in Preferences.

Upon successful connection to the IRC server, the IRC Console window is displayed and the IRC server’s welcome messages scroll by. Users with unrestricted access have a command line to type "raw" server commands. If ChatGuardian is enabled, only Supervisor users have this ability. Server commands do not need to be preceeded by a (/) slash. 

IRC Console

                                            Away Button
                       Use the Away button when you step away from your computer or are otherwise unavailable to chat. It informs users sending private messages or making Whois requests that you are not at the keyboard. Type a short message explaining why you are away or when you will be back.

Example messages might be in the form of “Be right back” or describe what you are doing–”answering telephone,” “answering door.” If you invoke this while in a channel, it does not send the message to the channel. It is IRC etiquette to also send a quick message to the channel that you will be right back. Often people just type and send the letters “brb” for be right back or “afk” for away from keys. 

Click the I'm Back! button in the I am Away box when you return to the keyboard and send a quick message to the channel of “back”. 

                             Mode Button
                      The Mode button on the IRC Console invokes the User Modes screen. Available options include making your nickname invisible in a user list and receiving server information.

 

Invisible
When the Invisible option is enabled, your nickname is invisible on a limited basis. If you are invisible and someone outside of the channel you are in requests a list of names for your channel as you, your name does not appear. If the person requesting the list of names is in the same channel, your name appears. Also, if a person knows the exact nickname you are using and initiates a Whois on you, they will receive information about you. However, if you are invisible and a user initiates a wild card Whois, you are not listed. 

Receive server messages
When Receive server messages is enabled, all messages from the IRC server are displayed. These messages appear in the IRC Console window and include notices of who has been killed* from the IRC server and what is happening with the links to the local IRC server. If you are on a large IRC server,  you may find this information annoying due to its high volume. (*The administration of the IRC server has the power to 'kill' users. Kill is similar to ban except that when a user is killed, he or she is disconnected from the IRC server and no longer allowed to reconnect.)

Receive wallops
When Receive wallops is enabled, all messages directed to channel operators are displayed. Most servers have removed the ability to send wallops due to its overuse and abuse. 

                             Channels Button 
                       The Channels button first displays the Channel Filters dialog and then a list of Channels that meet the filter criteria set. The names of the channels and their corresponding topics appear in the Channel List window.

           WARNING!  It is highly recommended that a more or less than
             user limit be set if a server supports filtering. Depending on the
             size of the server, the total number of channels ranges from several 
             hundred to over 12,000. It takes several minutes for this information
             to be downloaded. Other actions in ChatNet are delayed until the 
             download is completed.

The default option for Server supports filtering is enabled. Most servers support the more than and less than filter options. If a blank Channel List window is displayed, the filter settings are out of range or the server does not support filtering. If filtering is not supported by the server, disable this option and ChatNet will filter the incoming list. The Names containing filter is controlled by ChatNet and is not affected by the server supports filtering setting.

Filter Options
When More than is enabled and a number is typed in the box, a list of channels with more than that number of users is displayed.  Similarly, when Less than is enabled and a number is typed in the box, a list of channels with less than that number of users is displayed. 

For example, if More than is enabled and ”50” is typed in the more than box, a list is displayed of channels that have more than 50 users. The lower the number you choose, the more channels are listed. Be careful when using the less than filtering option as most channels have one to five people in them. Listing channels with less than 50 users in them will display a list of 99% of the channels on the server. You can also use the more than and less than filtering options simultaneously.

Enabling filtering by the Names containing option sorts through all channels and displays only those containing the word typed in the box.

            Note:
When ChatGuardian is enabled, automatic filtering using the
             Censor & Lock lists is activated for non-supervisor users in addition
             to any other filter options set. 

                             Enter Button 
                       The Enter button allows a channel to be joined by typing the name of the channel. The name of a new or existing channel may be typed. If a new channel is created, you are automatically set as the channel operator. 

               

                             Users Button
                      The Users button is used to obtain a user list for the channel name typed in the List Users window. This option displays a user list for a specific channel without entering the channel.

                                            Whois Button
                       The Whois button obtains information such as user info, channels joined, server connection, and if the user is on the IRC server. Type the nickname of the user, and if this nickname is being used, information about the user's name, host, server, “real” name, and away message are displayed as well as the channel(s) the user is currently joined. If the nickname is not on IRC, a message is displayed in the Console window that there is no such nickname.

Whois also has a wild card feature. For example, you are attempting to locate a friend named Mary Long. Mary always tries to use the nickname Mary, but often has to use a different nickname as Mary is a common nickname and is usually taken by someone else. She may use many different nicknames such as MaryL, MaryLong, MaryLo, Mary-, Mary_, etc. To initiate a wildcard search for Mary, type Mary* in the Whois box. A list of all the nicknames on the IRC server with the word MARY in them is displayed. 

                              Private Button
                       The Private button sends a private message to the nickname or channel typed in the Send Private window. Only you and the target user can see the private messages. However, if a private message is sent to a channel, your nickname and message appears in the channel for all to see. 

To send an outside message to a channel, a # character must preceed the channel name. Most channel operators set their channel mode so that outside messages are not accepted. Furthermore, it is disruptive to send outside messages to channels unless you are acquainted with the users in the channel. If the nickname or channel you select is not on the IRC server, a message is displayed in the Console window that there is no such nick or channel. For detailed information about sending and receiving private messages refer to the Private Message section.

Channel List

The Channel List window displays all channel names, the number of current users in the channel, and the channel topic, if set. Only those channels meeting the filter criteria are displayed. If ChatGuardian is enabled, all names and topics are also filtered based on the Censor and Lock lists.

                                            Users Button
                       The Users button displays the nicknames of all current users in the highlighted channel. Options to send a private message, send a file, ignore a user, initiate a Whois, or enter the channel are available from the User List window.

         

                                            Enter Button
                       Highlight a Channel name and click the Enter button to automatically join the channel. If no channel is highlighted, a window is displayed allowing the name of a channel to be typed. The Channel window is then displayed and you are automatically entered as a user. When an existing channel is joined, you do not have operator status and are bound by all listed mode restrictions. To become a channel operator, a current channel operator must grant  you that status.

Channel Window

The channel window is where all public conversation is performed. A channel window is made up of five parts: the buttons initiate commands, the topic and mode display the current channel settings, the body displays all message text, the message preview area is where your messages are typed, and the user list displays all current users in the channel.

                                           Topic Button
                       The Topic button allows the topic of a channel to be set. When the topic is set, users in the channel see a message stating who changed the topic and the new topic name. The channel topic is displayed as users join a channel or a channel list is initiated.

                                             Private Button
                       The Private button sends a private message to the nickname highlighted in the user list or typed in the Send Private window. Only you and the target user can see the private message. For detailed information about sending and receiving private messages refer to the Private Message section.

                                            File Button
                       The File button sends a file to the nickname highlighted in the user list or typed in the Send File window. Files can be text, binary, or MacBinary. Many users exchange text files, photos (.gifs, .jpgs), and scripts while chatting. 

After selecting a user, an open dialog allows a file to be selected. Navigate through the file directory and highlight the file to send. Check the 'Send in MacBinary format' ONLY when sending to other Macintosh users. Click the Select button. Users can chat and perform other operations while the file is being sent. Multiple file transfers can occur simultaneously if sufficient memory is available.

Once a file has been selected,  a File Transfer window is displayed on the sender’s screen and a Save dialog is displayed on the receiver’s screen. The sender’s File Transfer window will display “Waiting for receiver” until the receiver selects a place to save the file or cancels the transfer.

To accept an incoming file from another user, navigate through the file directory, select where to save the file, and click the Save button to begin file transfer. To decline the file transfer, click the Cancel button. If the file is accepted, a File Transfer window is displayed on the receiver’s screen. If the transfer is a MacBinary transfer, a percentage completion indicator is displayed in addition to statistical information. When the file transfer is completed, a window is displayed noting successful transmission. A voice says “file done.” Click OK to close the window.

                                             Ignore Button
                       The Ignore button stops text from being received from an ignored user. Click on the user’s name in the user list box at the right side of the Channel window then click the Ignore button. 

            Note: A lowercase i appears to the left of the user’s nickname. To 
             un-ignore a user, highlight the user’s name and click the Ignore
             button again. The i next to the user’s name is removed.

 

                              Whois Button
                        The Whois button obtains information about a user such as user info, channels joined, server connection, etc. Click on the user’s name in the user list box at the right side of the Channel window then click Whois. 

                                            Invite Button
                       The Invite button is used to invite another user to the channel. If the channel mode is Invite-Only, users outside of the channel cannot enter unless they are invited. For an Invite-Only channel, only a channel operator can invite users to join the channel. 

Conversely, if you receive an invitation from another user to enter a channel, a message is displayed stating the channel and who invited you. The window also contains a Decline and Accept button. If Decline is clicked, the channel is not entered. No message is sent to the user who invited you that you have declined. If Accept is clicked, the channel is automatically joined.

 

            Send Button

The Send button is equivalent to pressing the Return key on the keyboard when sending message text. To send a message, begin typing in the message preview area (located at the bottom of the window to the left of the Send and Action buttons). The text in the message preview area can be edited until the Return key is pressed or the Send or Action button is clicked. After the message is sent, the message preview area is cleared. The message is sent and cannot be changed. A message may contain up to 255 characters.

                Action Button

An action has a different context than a line of text entered when participating in a conversation. Actions are recognized by italicized text. For example, you will see Mary goes to the corner of the room or Mary laughs out loud. To send an action to a channel or in a private message, type your action in the message preview area and click the Action button. There is no need to type in your nickname as ChatNet automatically adds the nickname to the action. For example, to send an action that you are sleepy, type “is sleepy” and click the action button. Instead of using the mouse to click the action button, the action can be sent by pressing the Option and Return keys simultaneously.