That Time Again.
So there's a fair few new players recently, and lots of players who still need a slapping for not registering their nicks or just being Abel, so we hereby present:
The Handy-Dandy Guide to IRCing version whatever the hell.
So.
Part the First: Introduction
You want to go on IRC. If not, why are you reading this? Shoo. IRC is Handy-Dandy for a variety of reasons, mostly involving planning, discussion, avoidance of dorama, and owning Abel in the face repeatedly. For those of you who may not even know the term, it's effectively a set of servers joined together to make a primitive AOL or MSN network, without the graphics and containing many large rooms of people, one of which is #campfuckudie. There are also canon channels, typically used for cast planning of events and often private - ask first if in doubt - and a lot of other channels which constituted, you know, the network before you all took it over.
To get there, you'll need an IRC client. Free (if sometimes nagware) programs that come particularly approved are mIRC or HydraIRC for Windows machines, and Colloquy for Mac. I am quite sure someone will be along to refute or add to this list soon, and someone should probably link the Java app; those suggesting ircII will get beaten. Once acquired, point it to irc.lunarnet.org on port 6667, join (see below for commands) #campfuckudie, and away you go.
Part the Second: HELP PLEEZ CAN'T GET ONS
Of course, you may need to tell any firewalls you may have to let you connect. If when trying to connect your browser hangs or repeatedly crashes out with 'Connection reset by peer' messages, this generally means that there's a firewall in your way blocking your attempts to get on. In this situation, there's a few things that can be done. If you're on a home network, let Windows Firewall know to let your IRC client through on port 6667 and that'll generally fix it.
If you're at a college, dorms, work, or other such institution, you may need to fiddle a bit. This page lists a series of answers in increasing order of bullishness; hopefully, at least one of them should punch a hole through whatever problem you're having.
Part the Third: Actually Doing Stuff
The core useful commands for IRC are all listed here.
Your first step beyond that should, really, be registering your nick. This is free, fast, and prevents anyone else from taking it. All you really have to do is identify yourself with your password whenever you log on. If you crash but the server thinks you're still connected, or if someone else has taken your nick and you want to recover it, you can then forcibly disconnect them from the server by means of the ghost command or set things up so they're automatically disconnected after 30 seconds. This, will, if you set it, also apply to you, so don't forget that identifying thing.
IMPORTANT NOTE: you link your nicks on the new system by NOT registering them. Instead, sit on whatever your main nick is and do /msg NickServ LINK [totally new nick]. If you want to get rid of a nick, don't do /msg NickServ DROP [nick] as you used to: instead do /msg NickServ UNLINK [nick] otherwise you'll lose all of them at once.
All of these commands and more are available on /msg NickServ HELP COMMANDS, or /msg ChanServ HELP COMANDS for channel stuff.
There have, in the past, been attacks where people have tried to steal unidentified nicks by registering them first and then booting legit users. This is Not On, and this is why you should register your nicks. There have, in the past, been times when a CFUD person has not registered their nick and someone else has come along and registered it because they wanted it. This is Legit and By The Book and this is why you should register your nicks.
NickServ commands for doing this stuff are all listed here.
Part the Fourth: Miscellany
The only real server rule there is is to Not Be A Flaming Moron. (Sorry, Abel.) That said, /motd should bring up a welcome page to the server in your Status window with some rules on it.
If you are new and have just survived a voting round, you will get jumped upon from a very great height by a very great many people. This is normal, and yes, you will get lost initially. Enjoy.
Look at your IRC server options for Highlights. Definitely in mIRC, somewhat in Colloquy, don't ask me about HydraIRC. Highlights are lines where, if they contain a word or phrase of your choosing which is typically but not always things such as your character's name (if someone is trying to get your attention), that line will be displayed in a different colour, possibly highlight the channel, and any one of a number of myriad things. They can increase channel readability greatly. These are often referred to as 'pings'.
Because of the above, you don't often have to remember who plays who - just ping the character you need in channel by asking by name if they're there, and the relevant person will often respond no matter what nick they're on.
Creating your own channels is outside of the scope of this document, but /msg ChanServ HELP can provide a starting point. mIRCScript is similarly outside of the scope of this document due to being client-specific, fiddly, and potentially annoying. DCC (the art of sending or receiving files not-quite-over IRC) is similarly outside the scope of this document because setting it up is an arcane ritual requiring the slaughter of three cows.
Somewhere around there is a java app which can become a final port of call for those having problems with connecting or who don't want to download an IRC client. I've also heard tales of people managing to connect from work by bringing along an SSL-enabled mIRC client on a pendrive and running it off the drive, thus not installing anything on their work computers.
When in doubt, help files. When still in doubt, ask one of the three server admins in channel who will endeavour to either answer your question or hit each other (or you) with sticks. Either way it will probably be entertaining (possibly just for them). If you don't know who they are, ask and they'll probably answer your question or hit each other--well, you get the idea.
The Handy-Dandy Guide to IRCing version whatever the hell.
So.
Part the First: Introduction
You want to go on IRC. If not, why are you reading this? Shoo. IRC is Handy-Dandy for a variety of reasons, mostly involving planning, discussion, avoidance of dorama, and owning Abel in the face repeatedly. For those of you who may not even know the term, it's effectively a set of servers joined together to make a primitive AOL or MSN network, without the graphics and containing many large rooms of people, one of which is #campfuckudie. There are also canon channels, typically used for cast planning of events and often private - ask first if in doubt - and a lot of other channels which constituted, you know, the network before you all took it over.
To get there, you'll need an IRC client. Free (if sometimes nagware) programs that come particularly approved are mIRC or HydraIRC for Windows machines, and Colloquy for Mac. I am quite sure someone will be along to refute or add to this list soon, and someone should probably link the Java app; those suggesting ircII will get beaten. Once acquired, point it to irc.lunarnet.org on port 6667, join (see below for commands) #campfuckudie, and away you go.
Part the Second: HELP PLEEZ CAN'T GET ONS
Of course, you may need to tell any firewalls you may have to let you connect. If when trying to connect your browser hangs or repeatedly crashes out with 'Connection reset by peer' messages, this generally means that there's a firewall in your way blocking your attempts to get on. In this situation, there's a few things that can be done. If you're on a home network, let Windows Firewall know to let your IRC client through on port 6667 and that'll generally fix it.
If you're at a college, dorms, work, or other such institution, you may need to fiddle a bit. This page lists a series of answers in increasing order of bullishness; hopefully, at least one of them should punch a hole through whatever problem you're having.
Part the Third: Actually Doing Stuff
The core useful commands for IRC are all listed here.
Your first step beyond that should, really, be registering your nick. This is free, fast, and prevents anyone else from taking it. All you really have to do is identify yourself with your password whenever you log on. If you crash but the server thinks you're still connected, or if someone else has taken your nick and you want to recover it, you can then forcibly disconnect them from the server by means of the ghost command or set things up so they're automatically disconnected after 30 seconds. This, will, if you set it, also apply to you, so don't forget that identifying thing.
IMPORTANT NOTE: you link your nicks on the new system by NOT registering them. Instead, sit on whatever your main nick is and do /msg NickServ LINK [totally new nick]. If you want to get rid of a nick, don't do /msg NickServ DROP [nick] as you used to: instead do /msg NickServ UNLINK [nick] otherwise you'll lose all of them at once.
All of these commands and more are available on /msg NickServ HELP COMMANDS, or /msg ChanServ HELP COMANDS for channel stuff.
There have, in the past, been attacks where people have tried to steal unidentified nicks by registering them first and then booting legit users. This is Not On, and this is why you should register your nicks. There have, in the past, been times when a CFUD person has not registered their nick and someone else has come along and registered it because they wanted it. This is Legit and By The Book and this is why you should register your nicks.
NickServ commands for doing this stuff are all listed here.
Part the Fourth: Miscellany
The only real server rule there is is to Not Be A Flaming Moron. (Sorry, Abel.) That said, /motd should bring up a welcome page to the server in your Status window with some rules on it.
If you are new and have just survived a voting round, you will get jumped upon from a very great height by a very great many people. This is normal, and yes, you will get lost initially. Enjoy.
Look at your IRC server options for Highlights. Definitely in mIRC, somewhat in Colloquy, don't ask me about HydraIRC. Highlights are lines where, if they contain a word or phrase of your choosing which is typically but not always things such as your character's name (if someone is trying to get your attention), that line will be displayed in a different colour, possibly highlight the channel, and any one of a number of myriad things. They can increase channel readability greatly. These are often referred to as 'pings'.
Because of the above, you don't often have to remember who plays who - just ping the character you need in channel by asking by name if they're there, and the relevant person will often respond no matter what nick they're on.
Creating your own channels is outside of the scope of this document, but /msg ChanServ HELP can provide a starting point. mIRCScript is similarly outside of the scope of this document due to being client-specific, fiddly, and potentially annoying. DCC (the art of sending or receiving files not-quite-over IRC) is similarly outside the scope of this document because setting it up is an arcane ritual requiring the slaughter of three cows.
Somewhere around there is a java app which can become a final port of call for those having problems with connecting or who don't want to download an IRC client. I've also heard tales of people managing to connect from work by bringing along an SSL-enabled mIRC client on a pendrive and running it off the drive, thus not installing anything on their work computers.
When in doubt, help files. When still in doubt, ask one of the three server admins in channel who will endeavour to either answer your question or hit each other (or you) with sticks. Either way it will probably be entertaining (possibly just for them). If you don't know who they are, ask and they'll probably answer your question or hit each other--well, you get the idea.