mIRC Tutorial
We're thankful that freejavachat.com provides us with a free java chat client to use here on ETlove.nu, but we also realize that many people find the java client to be too restrictive and may want to chat with us using something different. Many of us use mIRC, which is an Internet Relay Chat program. There is a wealth of information about using mIRC at mIRC.com but if you just want to learn enough to get you into our chatroom with a customizable client, this is where to be.
First thing's first
You will need to download and install mIRC from mIRC.com. That should be easy enough, right? Get to it!
Setting Up
After opening mIRC, look for the icon that looks like a hammer and a folder (see picture below) and click on it.
This will bring you to the Options dialog. You need to fill in your "Full Name" (your first name is sufficient enough, really) as well as your email address, nickname, and an alternate nickname in case your chosen nickname is unavailable.
Click OK and you're ready to go!
Joining In
In order to join us, you will need to connect to the server we're on. You do this by typing "/server irc.ircstorm.net" into the textbox at the bottom of your screen.
After connecting, type "/join #etlove.nu" in the same textbox that you typed the server text. Voila!
Customization
The default mIRC font is quite scary so you might want to change it to something you like. It's quite simple to do. You need to right click where the tab with the name of the channel is and a menu will appear and "Font" will be on that menu.
The font dialog box will open and this is where you choose which font to use and adjust the size of the font. Karrie recommends "Verdana" at size 9 or 10. Be sure to check the "Set as default channel font" box so that it will use the font for all channels you may join.
If you talk to people in private, you change the font in the same way... but changing the font in the channel will not affect the font in the private window so you must change them separately.
You may also want to change the colors of mIRC. Find the icon that looks like crayons (see picture below) and click on it.
The color dialog box will popup. There are existing color schemes to choose from, or you can make your own by clicking parts of the screen it shows you and selecting a color for it. If you plan on playing the Uno game, don't use the Rainbow Sky color scheme (even though it's so pretty!) because the cards don't show up as the correct color.
Furthering Your Experience
If you're worried about others using your nickname, the best thing to do is register your nickname with NickServ. To do this, type "/msg NickServ register YOURPASSWORD YOUREMAILADDRESS" and then you'll be the only one to be able to use your nickname. After doing this, you will need to type "/msg NickServ identify YOURPASSWORD" everytime you log on or NickServ will change your name to a guest nickname.
For more help with NickServ, just type "/msg NickServ help."
