Introduction
Welcome to EsperNet, an Internet Relay Chat network. An IRC network is a interconnected group of servers that consist of many individual named chat rooms called "channels". Typically, each channel either focuses on a certain topic or community and is identified by a hash-sign and the name of the channel, for instance: #channel1.
Connecting to EsperNet
To connect to IRC, a client is required. You can download a dedicated client or your can use a web-based service such as Mibbit.
If you already have a client installed, you may be able connect to EsperNet by following the link: irc.esper.net. If this does not work, you should consult the documentation for your client and enter the address manually.
Basic Commands
All commands on IRC are prefixed with a forward-slash ('/'). You are not required to type in capital lettering for the command, but they are presented capitalized here for clarity.
After you have connected to one of the EsperNet servers, please have a read through the Message of the Day. You can use the following command to view the server's Message of the Day if it is not already shown:
/MOTD
To join a channel so that you can participate in a conversation, execute /JOIN followed by a space and the name of the channel you wish to join. For example:
/JOIN #channel1
/JOIN #channel2
Be sure to check the channel's topic upon entering. Each channel might have its own rules, but all channels and users must follow the EsperNet Charter.
To leave a channel, use the PART command along with the channel name and an optional reason:
/PART #channel1 I'll be back later, everyone!
Querying someone will open a new window in your client for conversing privately:
/QUERY myfriend123
To send a message to someone without opening a separate window, use the MSG command with their name and the message you wish to send:
/MSG myfriend123 Hello.
Registering your nickname on EsperNet
To claim ownership of your nickname, you can register it with NickServ.
Registration is simple. You must send a MSG to NickServ consisting of "REGISTER password e-mail", replacing 'password' with your desired password and 'e-mail' with your e-mail address:
/MSG NickServ REGISTER mypassword myemail@mail.com
Once you issue the registration command, NickServ will send an email to the address you provided. In the email is a command in the format of "/msg NickServ VERIFY REGISTER YourRegisteredNick SomeRandomNumbers". In order to finish registration, you must issue the command exactly as is in your IRC client. It is recommended you copy paste the command from the email into your client. If you do not complete the verification, your NickServ account will be removed after 24 hours and you must reregister.
If you do not visit EsperNet for 90 days after registration, your registration is removed and you must register again.
To log into an existing NickServ account, use NickServ's IDENTIFY command:
/MSG NickServ IDENTIFY mypassword
IRC Clients
| Client | Platform | Description |
|---|---|---|
 |
Windows | mIRC is a graphical client with a powerful integrated scripting language. |
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OSX, Unix, Windows | HexChat is a fully-featured graphical IRC client based upon XChat. |
 |
OSX | Colloquy is a popular Mac IRC client with a highly-customizable native user interface. |
 |
OSX, Unix, Windows | Quassel is a multiplatform IRC client with a client-server architecture that allows it to also function as a BNC. |
 |
Android, Unix | WeeChat is a modern terminal IRC client that features broad customizability and multiple scripting languages. |
 |
Unix | irssi is a console IRC client with powerful Perl scripting bindings. |