Internet Relay Chat

   Abbreviated IRC. An Internet client/server application that allows large groups of people to communicate interactively; developed by Jarkko Oikarinen in Finland.

   Specific channels are devoted to a particular subject, from the sacred to the profane, and channels come and go regularly as interest levels change. Each channel has its own name, usually prefaced by the pound sign (\#), as in \#hottub.

   When you join a channel, you can see what others have already typed; when you type a line and press Enter, everyone else sees your text. Most, but not all, of the conversations are in English. If someone asks you for a password during an IRC session, don't be tempted to give it; someone is trying to trick you into divulging important information about your system.

   See also listserver; mailing list; newsgroup; Usenet.