Join the #sciencelab on IRC!

Mozilla

Looking for a way to continue discussions with those interested in open research? The Science Lab has a dedicated channel on IRC. IRC (Internet Relay Chat — think of it as the precursor to Google Chat or AIM) is an always-open chat service which allows groups of people (channels) to drop in and chat about any topic — in this case, open science! It’s a great way to ask questions, share information, and connect with others interested in science on the web. We’ve used IRC for online office hours, backchat during community calls or just to say hello to a collaborator in a different timezone.

New to IRC? It’s easy to get set up, free and open to everyone on the Internet. Here are a few ways to get up and running so you too can join the conversation. Want to give it a try first? Just pick a username here and hit “Start”.

We prefer to use a client. Here are a few that are easy to get up and running with for first-timers: Adium (if you’re on a Mac), Pidgin (for Mac/PC), or Colloquy though to each their own. Play around, see what fits best.

Some terminology: once you install your client, you’ll connect to a server. Servers have names like ‘irc.freenode.net’ or ‘irc.mozilla.org’. Once you’re on a server, you’ll join a channel. Channels have a ‘#’ before their name, like a hashtag — but it’s not a hashtag! And once you’re on IRC, you’ll have to choose a nick, or nickname. In our case, the server is irc.mozilla.org and the channel is #sciencelab.

Here are the details you’ll need to connect to our server:

  • Name: Mozilla
  • Address: irc.mozilla.org
  • Port:
  • Normal port value is 6697
  • Note: Some mobile carriers block port 6697. If you have trouble with that port, please try 8443
  • SSL: checked
  • Nickname: your IRC nickname

Once you’ve connected to the server, most of your interactions with IRC will be done by typing commands. Some IRC clients have a nice graphical interface which lets you click or right-click instead — check the documentation for your client or just click around and try things.

First, let’s talk about nicknames. Your nickname is your handle for IRC. Like a Twitter name, they can become a major part of your identity if you spend a lot of time on IRC. Looking for naming tips? Have a look at the Mozilla how-to.

Once you have your ideal nickname in mind, you can register your nickname with Nickserv. If you’re going to be on IRC a lot (and we hope you will!), you’ll want to register your nickname. That way, others can’t pose as you on the channel.

First, set your nickname by either doing:

/nick NICKNAME

(where NICKNAME is the desired nickname). Your IRC client might have a way to do this in the graphical interface; that will also work.

To register your nickname:

/msg nickserv register PASSWORD EMAIL

PASSWORD is a password to protect your nickname from being changed by anyone else, and email is an email address where the nickserv will send a confirmation email.

Congrats! Your nick is now registered. You’re almost ready to go.

How to join us on the #sciencelab channel

IRC channels are essentially chat rooms where people congregate around projects, topics, etc. To join our Science Lab room, you’d need to type:

/join #sciencelab

You did it! Say hello. :)

(Incidentally, there are lots of other cool channels on the Mozilla server and other IRC servers, but they’re out of the scope of this post!)

Other useful things to know

The Mozilla IRC how-to has a number of good points about community etiquette and how to ask questions on IRC. We’re a friendly and helpful bunch, but if you’re new to IRC, it’s useful to give it a read.

Once you’re in a room, if you type someone’s handle, it’ll send them a notification (but still be a public message). It’s a good way of directing a question or comment to someone.

Want to send a private message to someone? Just type the following:

/msg [other person’s nickname] Hi there, this is a test private message

That’ll open a private tab or window for your conversation.

Still need help?

For everything you might need to know, check out Mozilla’s comprehensive how-to. Or, if you’ve made it into the #sciencelab channel, feel free to ask us.