IRC FAQ
Edited Version
Hello and welcome to the insanity that is the #Hetalia IRC channel. If you're reading this you've already figured out how to get on IRC and get here. Congratulations! You've taken your first steps into a wider world. Okay, maybe not, but I like dramatics. I'm Osterreich, founder and co-owner of the channel with Emperor_Norton. If you have a question feel free to poke either of us, but please check the FAQ first to see if it's been covered. Now let's get to the meat of this.
Q: OHGOD I got dropped from the server and now it says my nick is in use! What do I do?
A: For whatever reason (usually because The Internet is a Bitch) you got dropped from the server and now you can't get your old name, somehow it's still in use. You can either wait for it to quit by itself (this usually takes a few minutes) or you can avoid having to wait by registering your nickname. It's quite simple to do, you type in /msg nickserv register [password] {e-mail} replacing [password] with the password you want to use and {e-mail} with the e-mail you want to register it to. Don't forget to drop the [ ] and { }. Also, the password is case sensitive. The server will then send you an e-mail, just follow the directions and voila! You're registered!
Q: Okay, I did all that crap, now why does it want me to identify myself?
A: This is simple to do. When you log onto the server simply type /msg nickserv identify [password] Most IRC clients also have a place to put the password in so you get identified automatically.
Q: Alright, now I got dropped and it says my nick is in use! I can fix this now right?
A: Again, this is pretty simple. Since you registered your nick (you did that already right?) you can now Ghost your nick when you aren't using it but it's somehow logged in. Simply type /nickserv ghost [nick] {password} and your name will get completely dropped from the server, allowing you to identify.
Q: Well I'm registered, are there any other nifty things I can do with this?
A: Well, you can ghost your nick if you have to, and now that it's registered, other people won't be able to use your nick (provided they don't get your password) you can also now get special ranks, like voice, and different ranks of Op. Don't know what those are? Voice means that if for some reason I have to mute the channel, everyone with Voice rank and above can still talk. Ops (Half-op, Ops and Super Ops) can kick, ban, and change the topic. Don't ask to be an Op. If myself or Emperor_Norton feel we need a new Op, and that you qualify, you'll get the rank. Asking for Op is a good way not to get it.
Q: I'm tired of using this name, how do I change it?
A: Just type /nick and then whatever you want your new nickname to be.
Q: Ooooh, Osterreich you just did this: *Osterreich dances around the room. How do I do that?!
A: If you want to emote simply type /me and then whatever you want to do. Like in the above example I would have typed /me dances around the room. Make sure to put the / in front of the me.
Q: Wait a sec, why did you change your nick? What's with the RP-ing? Am I allowed to talk or will I get fussed at? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!
A: The #Hetalia channel gets frequented by a lot of players from the APH Dressing Room. As such occasionally people will break into Role Playing (kind of like a musical, but with less singing and dancing.) Nicks will change, people will act like their characters and madness and chaos ensue. Okay, maybe not the last bit, but it is fun for us RP-ers. If this happens please remain calm. Feel free to keep talking though it would be nice if you could remember to use [ ] around your talk so it's easy for everyone to keep track of who is talking as a character or not. Does it bother you? Feel free to tell me, I'll see about getting people to tone it down.
Q: OMG there is smut happening in the main channel! I don't like this but I don't want to tell the people involved to knock it off! OMG what do I doooooo?!
A: Due to complaints SMUT IS NO LONGER ALLOWED IN THE MAIN CHANNEL. I will repeat: NO SMUTTINGS IN THE MAIN CHANNEL. We have the #hetalia_rp channel for stuff like that. And by stuff like that I don't mean only smut. If there is RP that doesn't involve most of the people in the channel it would be highly appreciated if you would take it to the RP channel. If it's just two of you, PMs are recommended.
Q: You or one of the other mods just kicked me! That means you hate me and I should go back to my corner of the internet and baw about it!
A: In the channel, a kick doesn't really mean anything. Yeah, the Ops have a weird sense of humor that extends to kicking people for the lulz. Don't like it? Ummm, oh well.
Q: I just got banned! BAAAAWW when can I come back? You're so mean!
A: Okay, so this hasn't been asked yet, but I'm sure it will at some point. If you got banned there was likely a good reason. Neither myself nor Emperor_Norton ban people without a good reason and multiple warnings. Feel free to ask (once or twice) when the ban will get lifted. You really should know what you did to get banned, so if you ask that don't be surprised if the response assumes you to be of less than average intelligence. And yes, I am mean. IRC is not a democracy. Deal with it.
Q: I have another basic question about how IRC works that isn't covered here! Where can I get answers?
A: You can ask myself of Emperor_Norton, or you can always look up a tutorial on the internet. Lazy bum.
Have something you think I should add? That's what comments are for. Love you all my dearie ducks! &hearts &hearts &hearts