Basic Instructions on how to get on IRC (using mIRC)

After you download and install mIRC, this is what to do, step by step:
 

    1. Dial up on your dialer so you are on-line.
    2. Double click IRC
    3. You may get the "about IRC" with a picture of the guy who wrote the program, just double click top left to get rid of him.
    4. Now you should be in the "IRC setup" Fill in your real name, your email address.
    5. Pick two nicknames. If someone else has the first nick name when you sign onto a session, they will let you know and your second nickname will be used.
    6. You should be looking at a list of servers. It doesn't matter a whole lot which one you use BECAUSE sometimes the servers are full and you have to pick another one until you get "in" somewhere.
    7. So, highlight, some place close to where you live and click the "connect" button on the right.
    8. Now, this is the hard part. WAIT. Just wait and wait. Eventually, if you get in, a whole bunch of stuff will just fly past your screen. If the server is full, you will just get a message like "Unable to connect to server". Then you have to pick a different server, click the file folder icon on the bar on top and the list will drop down for you again. Pick another server--any one is fine. And click "connect" and wait again. (You just do this until you get connected).
    9. Once you get in, the Channels Folder drops down and you type in #harvestnet (or whatever channel you are adding to the list) at the top. Click on the "add" button.
    10. Now, #harvestnet is in the long list in front of you. Highlight it and click the "Join" button.
    11. You should now be in the place where you "meet" with us. In the column on the right you would see your nickname, and the nickname of *everyone* who is in that "room".
    12. Place your curser in the frame at the bottom of the open screen and type. Press enter and you'll see " & "the message you typed" goes in the large open area.
A very awesome thing happened in IRC in June 1997.  The owners of the Christian channel 'bots' got together and decided that it would be a good idea to link all the bots together into a 'botnet.'  

While this has been done previously with non-Christian-related bots, this was a new thing for the Christians.  The linking allows for smoother operation of the IRC channels, and protection from 'takeover' groups.  

The #Harvestnet channel is obviously not the only Christian channel out there.  Some more that we know of are #The_Rock, #Christians, #Bible-Prophecy, #Agape, #Christian-friends, #Apologetics, #Teens4Christ, #Singles4Christ, #Bible, #Jesus!, #Jesus!Ministry, #Jesus!Teens, and there are surely many more!  

Be warned, though!  Not all channels with Christian-sounding names are friendly (#Jesus is an example!) 
***** July/August 1998 Note: 
The #Jesus channel is now in the hands of Christians!  The channel was handed over to the same Christian not once but twice!  We'll just have to give God the glory on this!!  Why do we care who 'owns' the channel?  Normally, we wouldn't - but with the channel name combined with the attitude displayed was just too much.  (Check out these quotes from their webpage: "This channel might be one of the most deceptively named channels on IRC's EFNet. It is a full discussion channel, not a fellowship channel, and many non-Christians are frequently found here. If you are offended by such things, please do not come to the channel." and "We have fooled [counter] people into thinking this was a Christian fellowship page since September 7, 1997.")
(A 'bot' is simply a computer program that looks like a person in an IRC channel, but can have enormous capabilities for helping keep a channel organized, knowing and recognizing 'regulars', protecting from takeovers, etc.)
(A 'takeover' is when people who have no interest other than harrassment end up 'owning' a channel - having operator permissions, inviting in all their friends, and in many cases, being abusive to those who wish to have friendly conversations.  This can provide opportunity for witnessing, but in my experience, attempts to witness result in being kicked from the channel by the new owners.  In the end, this is just annoyance, since a new channel is easily created, but trying to get the word out to those who know the 'old' channel name can be difficult.  Bots simply help avoid the annoyance in the first place.)
 
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 This page last modified: Saturday, 08-Aug-1998 20:07:47 EDT. You are vistor #4685 since 08/08/1998.