This is pretty rough, but should cover the basics.

First, you need to download, for your Windows computer, mIRC.

(Mac folks, you need one of these clients.

Anyway, you've downloaded the setup program. You run that to install mIRC. A window should open up containing a shortcut to the mIRC program. There should also be a new mIRC group in the Programs section of your Start Menu.)
Connect to the internet however you do this normally. Now, run mIRC by clicking the Start Menu, going to Programs, going to mIRC, and clicking on mIRC. A screen comes up, displaying the copyright message. Click the checkbox in the lower left corner so it won't come back. Now click anywhere else on this box, and it's gone. You have a new window, with some fields that need filled in. You can put your actual Real Name, or a smarty-pants one if you want. Fill in your email address, and then a nickname and an alternate nickname of your choice. I suggest deleting the whole list of servers there, because most of them are on totally different networks, and won't help you find me at all. Either way, click "OK" at the bottom of the screen. You're left with a blank Status window. Great. Type

/server eu.undernet.org

(You can try /server us.undernet.org if you're in that kinda mood, but there tend to be more European servers, and they work just as well)

into the bottom of that window. With any luck, you will wait a little while, and then a buncha "Connected" text will fill the screen. A "Channels" folder pops up. (What you may call a Chat Room is called a Channel on IRC. Just because.) I would delete all the channels already there, but you can leave them. You can type

#gifted

into this Channels window, or you can hit OK, and type

/join #gifted

into the status window. Wait a second or two, and #gifted should come up. A new window, with #gifted and some other crazy stuff at the top. Text will be there, saying "*** Now talking in #gifted" and some of that crazy stuff you saw earlier. Great. Type "hi" or something. If you just show up without saying anything, people are unlikely to notice, but most often someone is online and will respond if you just start talking.

Email () me if you have any problems. (X isn't a person. Just trust me.) Finally, just be nice to folks on IRC. Don't use all caps, it's considered shouting, don't get mad if people don't respond right away, sometimes there lag or someone is away, and just be kinda polite. Things go quite well that way.

You may want to check out the Contact Dylan Flipse page.

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By Dylan Flipse,