Using an IRC Client Edit

Advanced users may find that the webchat interface (webchat.freenode.net) is cumbersome and lacks the features of a full IRC client. Full IRC clients are more featured and can even sometimes be simpler to use. Some popular examples include:

• ChatZilla, which works as a Firefox extension (for any operating system)
• XChat, a multiplatform stand-alone, full featured, IRC client
• irssi, an IRC client that works completely from a terminal, commonly used in combination with SSH or on Linux systems

A more comprehensive list, with comparisons, can be found on Wikipedia.

Note that this page won't cover how to use these IRC clients; each typically comes with their own documentation and instructions, so compare a few, and choose the one you like the best.

The benefits of running a standalone IRC client include, generally, a bigger feature set, the ability to stay online without having to keep your web browser open (although ChatZilla is a notable exception to this), the ability to configure things like automatically joining channels when you open the program, and - in Freenode's case - it allows you to completely hide your IP address when combined with an IRC cloak.

If you have an IRC client installed, clicking here will open your IRC client and connect you to the channel. If clicking this link results in some error like "Unknown protocol" or "Firefox doesn't know how to open links of this type" - or if nothing happens when you click it, you probably don't have an IRC client installed. If you're sure you have one installed, it might not be configured properly. Remember, if you don't have an IRC client or don't want to install one, you can always use the webchat interface.

If you have to manually configure your IRC client to join the channel, here's all the information you'll need:

• Server: irc.freenode.net
• Channel: #wikia-metroid

Private Messages Edit

It is possible to send private messages (sometimes called queries or PMs) to other users on IRC. A private message is, of course, a message that is only visible to two people, you and the person you're talking to. PMs are handled independently of the public channels, to the point that you don't have to be in any channels to initiate or participate in a PM with someone else (as long as you know the other person's nickname, or the other person knows your nickname). Various clients have different methods of initiating PMs (sometimes by right-clicking someone's nickname in a channel's user list and clicking "query"; see your client's documentation), but there are a couple ways that always work regardless of client, and they are documented below.

/msg nickname message

This command will send a private message message to the user nickname. The message can contain spaces.

/query nickname

This will start a PM session in a separate tab or window, depending on your client. See your client's documentation on the /query command for more information.

How clients handle PMs differs. Some clients, such as irssi and Chatzilla, only open a separate window for the PM session if you use the /query command; otherwise, the messages sent to and from you are displayed in the tab or window you are currently viewing. Other clients, including the Freenode webchat client, always open a separate query tab whenever you receive a PM, but not necessarily when you send one unless you use /query. Again, check your client's documentation on private messages and queries for more information. Some clients even include extra commands, such as /action (which in, for example, irssi, allows you to PM a /me), which will be covered in your IRC client's documentation.

Please be aware that it is considered proper IRC etiquette to ask a user in a public channel if they mind being private messaged before initiating a private conversation.

NickServ and Registering Your Nickname Edit

It is possible to register your nickname with a service called NickServ to prevent other people from using it. More accurately, it doesn't prevent other people from using it (at least by default; it can be configured to do so if you wish), but people can tell if you're "identified" (or logged in) to NickServ or not by running the /whois command on you, and you must be identified to take advantage of any special privileges you have in a channel (e.g., voice or operator). It is highly recommended that regulars register their nickname, and Wikitroid administrators that use IRC must register their nickname to receive voice or operator privileges. Here are the basics for using NickServ:

Note: For the list below, two variants are listed for each command, /msg NickServ and /ns. Using the /ns version, if it works, is preferred because it will prevent things like your password from appearing in your chatlog. Your password will never be revealed to other users as long as you use these commands properly.

/msg NickServ REGISTER password youremail@example.com

/ns REGISTER password youremail@example.com

This registers your current nickname with NickServ. You must specify a password, which you can use to log in and identify, and an email address (youremail@example.com). A verification email will be sent to the email address you specify, and you must follow the directions in it to complete nickname registration. You should only ever have to register your nickname once. Password cannot contain spaces.

/msg NickServ IDENTIFY nickname password

/ns IDENTIFY nickname password

This command logs you in (identifies you) to NickServ. Run this every time you connect to the network. Or, if you use Freenode Webchat (webchat.freenode.net), check the box "Auth to services" and enter your nickname and password where indicated. Nickname is the nickname you were using when you registered, and password is the password you specified when you registered. It is possible to change your password after you've registered; see below.

Note: If you use an IRC client, it is recommended that you configure it to automatically send the IDENTIFY command when you connect. See your client's documentation for details.

/msg NickServ SET PASSWORD newPassword

/ns SET PASSWORD newPassword

This command changes the password you use to log in to identify to NickServ. Note that you must identify before using this command.

/msg NickServ SET EMAIL newEmailAddress@example.com

/ns SET EMAIL newEmailAddress@example.com

This command changes the email address associated with your nickname, which you originally specified when you registered your nickname. A confirmation email will be sent to your new email address, which contains instructions you must follow to complete the process of changing the email address associated with your nickname. Of course, you must first identify before you can use this command.

/msg NickServ HELP

/ns HELP

There are many more commands available for NickServ than those listed above. Use this command to see all of them.

WARNING: Occasionally, Freenode "prunes" their NickServ databases, deregistering (dropping) all nicknames that haven't been used recently. These prunes don't happen at regular intervals; however, when they occur, all nicknames that haven't been used in the last 150 days (this number does sometimes change) are deleted. And, if all of the nicknames associated with an account are dropped, the account is deleted. If your NickServ account is deleted, you will lose any and all privileges given to you in the channel and you'll have to re-register with NickServ to get them back. So, any chatters who've registered their nickname(s), admins especially, should make sure to log in/identify to NickServ at least once every month to ensure that their nicknames aren't dropped.

IRC cloaks Edit

An IRC cloak allows you to mask your IP address and replace it with something like unaffiliated/yourUsername. Note that this is only truly effective if you use an IRC client, not the Freenode webchat (webchat.freenode.net). Freenode has more information on the process of actually getting an IRC cloak, covered here. Note that you must have registered your nickname with NickServ to get a cloak.

RecentChanges Feed Edit

Now available on IRC is a live feed of all edits made to the English Wikitroid as they happen! You can use one of the connection methods below to connect to it. The bot Wikitroid-RC (see below) relays every edit made to Wikitroid, thus making the channel useful for those wishing to monitor the wiki's recent changes for vandalism. Clicking one of the connection links below will connect you to both the RC channel and our chat channel, as chatting is not allowed in the RC channel.

Connecting:

• If you do not have an IRC client (most users): click here
• If you do have an IRC client (such as xChat, ChatZilla, mIRC, or irssi): click here

Wikitroid-RC is a relay bot operated by FastLizard4. It monitors the Wikia Recent Changes feed and relays changes made to Wikitroid (English only) to the IRC channel. Actually, it does this by matching a simple algorithm, so false positives are possible, but unlikely. The bot is written in PHP. Source code is available from User:FastLizard4 upon request. It has not yet attempted to take over the world. That said, it does crash and fail in spectacular and not-so-spectacular ways every so often. Don't bug anyone about it, it will eventually get fixed.

Addendum: The bot now monitors edits from the Metroid Fanon wiki as well as the Metroid Answers wiki. Edits from the three monitored wikis will be prefixed with text indicating which wiki the edit is from.

Admins' Channel Edit

An administrators-only channel (#wikia-metroid-admins) exists for the discussion of sensitive/private topics that should only be discussed amongst administrators. Admins who idle on IRC should also idle in this channel. Topics that are not sensitive/private should be discussed in the main channel, #wikia-metroid.

This channel is only accessible by authorized users (admins). However, not all admins can automatically access this channel - you must first request voice/ops in #wikia-metroid from FastLizard4. If you have voice or ops in #wikia-metroid, then you have access to the admins channel. However, in extremely rare circumstances, a normal user may be allowed to enter the channel. This is usually temporary. All admins in the channel are allowed to do this (once you're in the channel, type /invite userToInvite), however, do not do this unless you have an extremely good reason to do so, and ask the user to leave (kick them if necessary) when they are no longer needed in the channel.

You no longer need to follow special steps to join the channel. Just make sure you're identified to NickServ, and you can join the admins channel just like any other channel. The trick now is that authorized users are given +I flags, also called invexes (for "invitation exemptions"). Anyone who can op in #wikia-metroid-admins can give someone an invex like this, but make sure that it's only given to administrators:

1. /mode #wikia-metroid-admins +I *!*@cloak, if the person you're giving an invex has an IRC cloak (e.g., /mode #wikia-metroid-admins +I *!*@wikipedia/pdpc.active.FastLizard4)
2. /mode #wikia-metroid-admins +I $a:NickServAccount, if the person you're giving an invex doesn't have an IRC cloak (e.g., /mode #wikia-metroid-admins +I $a:FastLizard4)