Wikitroid:IRC/Advanced

This page is intended for advanced IRC users

If you aren't familiar with how to use IRC chat, this is probably not the best place to start.

Although you may find the information on this page interesting, and although it is by no means "secret", the information on this page is aimed at users who are already familiar with the workings of IRC. If you're new to IRC, you probably don't want to start with this page, and it's recommended that you go back to Wikitroid:IRC to learn more about the basics of IRC chat.

Operators: Information specifically for channel operators can be found here.

Using an IRC Client
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.

IRC cloaks
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.

RecentChanges Feed
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.

Admins' Channel
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 ), 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.

To join the channel:
 * Connect to the IRC network as you normally would
 * Once you are in #wikia-metroid, identify to NickServ (if you haven't already), then type these two commands, in order:
 * (You should then see the message You have been invited to #wikia-metroid-admins. from ChanServ and a notice similar to )
 * (note that some clients will execute this command automatically after being invited)
 * (note that some clients will execute this command automatically after being invited)