IRC

wplug has an IRC (internet relay chat) channel called #wplug (kinda obvious choice, huh?). It's hosted on the freenode network. We normally log in via /server irc.freenode.net.

Stop by and say hello (/join #wplug).

IRC Guidelines

Here at wplug, we would like to uphold some basic requirements for behavior usage. These guidelines are defined in order to allow us to react to user complaints concerning language, behavior or other negative situations that may occur. Please note that #wplug is a "family" channel and we have not had many situations where these rules needed to be enforced.

The following are grounds for dismissal from the channel.

• Offensive word usage
• Racial slurs
• Derogatory comments meant to offend or insult a person
• Spam
• Behavior unbecoming of an adult or sane person (this includes changing /nick frequently).

These requirements as well as the etiquette reference on the Freenode Network Policies and Freenode Channel Guidelines pages apply.

How to Connect

Perhaps the easiest way is to visit http://webchat.freenode.net/ - put the name you would like to be known by in the Nickname field, and #wplug in the Channels field. Then under the reCAPTCHA display, enter in the two words shown to prove you're not a robot (click the Reload button for a new one if you can't read them).

Then click the Connect button, and you'll be on your way!

Alternatively, you can use one of the many popular IRC clients for Linux, including Chatzilla (a Firefox add-on), Pidgin, and XChat. The Empathy chat client included with Ubuntu seems to not work well with IRC, so you may be better off not using that. There are a number of tutorials for getting started with any of these clients, just plug the name and "IRC" or "freenode" into your favorite search engine or YouTube.

Note that many tutorials will describe registering a nickname on Freenode or signing in with a registered nickname. This is optional; you can simply connect using your nickname of choice without registering or authenticating (note that if someone else is using that nickname, you'll have to choose a different one).