Wikipedia:IRC channels

Use and anonymity on IRC are covered in more detail below.

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You may be able to get further information in the channel on the freenode IRC network.

To request that your IRC account be cloaked, go here. then process these by hand. Cloaking is optional, but a good idea.

The following are the requirements necessary to obtain a cloak:

Another straightforward way of guaranteeing anonymity on IRC (and elsewhere) is to subscribe with a VPN service provider. This will re-route all your Internet traffic and effectively replace your IP address with the service provider's.

Most people needing can access IRC easily using this freenode webchat link: (for example). Web-based IRC is a good choice for first-time IRC users, for portable use, and for those who cannot, or prefer not to, install separate software:

The usual way to access IRC is via an IRC client. These are more full-featured and make it easy to watch multiple chats at a time. Scripts to enhance IRC clients are available online at . From the long list Comparison of Internet Relay Chat clients, some notable clients are:

This error occurs when you attempt to join a non-public channel (see non-public channels, below). If you know that you have access to a non-public channel and you still receive this error, the simplest fix is to ask ChanServ for an invite (see /msg ChanServ help invite for more info). If you have a cloak, you can ask a channel op to add an invex (+I) on your cloak so that you do not need to ask ChanServ for invites each time you need to join the channel.

If, however, you know you both have access to the non-public channel and you know that you have an invex (+I) on your cloak for that channel, your client might be automatically joining the channel before authenticating. Double-check to make sure your client is set up according to freenode's recommended way of setting up your client and nickname so that you can be certain that your client authenticates as you connect.

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