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| IRC has a decentralized network of servers that can be accessed by special client programs. The protocol for IRC is open, and there are many client (and server) implementations. | IRC has a decentralized network of servers that can be accessed by special client programs. The protocol for IRC is open, and there are many client (and server) implementations. | ||
| In IRC protocol commands and text is transfered in plaintext, so it's possible to use IRC via ] (but that's very inconvenient), and to read intercepted ] communication between IRC client and server. | In IRC protocol commands and text is transfered in plaintext, so it's possible to use IRC via ] (but that's very inconvenient), and to read intercepted ] communication between IRC client and server. | ||
| The IRC protocol was originally defined in ] but has been updated in RFC ], ], ] and ]. | The IRC protocol was originally defined in ] but has been updated in RFC ], ], ] and ]. | ||
Revision as of 15:14, 4 December 2001
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) was created by Jarkko Oikarinen in August 1988. It was first written to replace a program called MUT (MultiUser Talk) on a BBS called OuluBox in Finland. Jarkko Oikarinen found inspiration in Bitnet Relay Chat which operated on the Bitnet network.
IRC has a decentralized network of servers that can be accessed by special client programs. The protocol for IRC is open, and there are many client (and server) implementations.
In IRC protocol commands and text is transfered in plaintext, so it's possible to use IRC via telnet (but that's very inconvenient), and to read intercepted TCP communication between IRC client and server.
The IRC protocol was originally defined in RFC 1459 but has been updated in RFC 2810, 2811, 2812 and 2813.
Today the largest IRC Networks are /EFNet, /Undernet, /IRCNet and /Dalnet. They run various implementations of serversoftware, but the basic protocol is the same, and all networks can be accessed by the same IRC Clients.
Popular IRC clients: