Since I don't know how much you know about IRC chats, I am going to assume you have never
attended one before, and start at the very beginning. (That was the position I was in when I
first started working with WarpDoctor.) If you find some of this redundant, please skip to
the later steps. :-)

Here are the basic steps:

1. Download an IRC client program. You can get a description of what's available from Judy's
   Warped World at http://www.gt-online.com/~bri/irc_clients.html . Personally, I
   recommend (and use) the Gammatech IRC program, but there are many others from which to
   chose. The Gammatech program is commercial, but a full-featured demo version is
   downloadable from the Gammatech site, to which Judy's page has a link. There are
   others that are shareware and freeware. There are even command line and Java programs!
   Another place where IRC clients may be found is on Hobbes in:
   http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/cgi-bin/h-browse?sh=1&dir=/pub/os2/apps/internet/irc/client .

2. For the following description, I'll use Gammatech IRC, since I know it the best;
   however you'll find the pattern is similar for most clients.

3. Install your IRC program, and start it.

4. Click on "Options" (some clients call it Configuration) enter three critical parameters:
   1. Username = that portion of your email address preceding the @.
   2. Real Name = your real name.
   3. Nickname = a nickname by which you wish to be known within the chatroom. This must
      be unique, and ideally should readily be associated with your real name. The latter is
      not a requirement, however.

5. After you've completed the Options; then
   1. Click on the File | Connect , then:
      1. Select IRC Network "Webbnet" without the quotes, and
      2. Select Server "irc.webbnet.org", again without the quotes, and
         hit the CONNECT button.

6. Wait while the IRC program attempts to connect you with the chat network.

7. Click on the left-most tool in the toolbar near the bottom of the screen; this is the
   "enter dialogue" tool, and will cause a list of IRC Channels to appear.

8. Double-click on "#warpdoctor" for the WarpDoctor chatroom; "#voice" for the VOICE chatroom.

9. A larger window will appear, listing the current topic, users currently logged on, and a few other useful details.

10. You are now in the chatroom; the other users will help with any questions you may have after that.

11. All dialogue appears in the top half of the window. You may type messages or
    responses in the lower half of the window. Your messages can be distinguished from
    the others by the fact that yours will be displayed with your Nickname highlighted
    in RED.

12. The people in the chatroom are displayed in the column at the right in the Gammatech
    program. They are also listed at the top for the benefit of other clients.

TIP:
===

Not everyone in a chatroom is necessarily "active"--i.e. watching their computer
monitor. You may find it helpful to type, "Hi everyone" (without the quotes) or something
similar when you first enter the chatroom. This will give you an idea of who is currently
active, i.e. who is currently watching their monitor/keyboard, and interested in chatting
with you.

Happy chatting!

Walter F. Metcalf
VOICE President
Warpdoctor Co-ordinator
www.os2voice.org
www.warpdoctor.org
mailto:walter.os2@rogers.com