-- and the program will open, with
a little window called 'About mIRC', a photo of its creator, and some other things. Just
quit this window by clicking on the little "x" at the top right-hand corner of
this window. NOTE: YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING ON THIS PAGE WHILE KEEPING THIS BROWSER WINDOW OPEN, SO YOU CAN CONSULT IT ANYTIME.
To open another browser on either NetScape or MS Internet Explorer (while keeping this one open), press Control-N.
On a few days this semester we are going to experiment with "distance education" or remote classes. These will be conducted on the Internet in "real-time chat." We'll be using IRC, or "Internet Relay Chat". IRC is one of the original Internet facilities, long predating the Worldwide Web. It is the easiest, most powerful, and most flexible "chat" facility.
The page you are on now contains all the information you will need to take part in these remote classes by IRC. You can take part in them either from an MSU computer lab, or from home. This page gives you complete directions for doing both.
Here is the Table of Contents of this Page. You can read it on-line, or you can print it out.
You may only need to look at these two sections:
How Can I Use IRC On My Web Browser (without downloading and setting up the mIRC client)?
But you may also want to learn more about IRC. However, the only thing that's required is that you learn enough to have a simple discussion using your web browser. You do not have to use the mIRC client, if you don't want to.
How Do I Configure the mIRC Client for My Personal Information?
How Can I Use IRC On My Web Browser (without downloading and setting up the mIRC client)?
IRC, or "Internet Relay Chat", is real-time conversation over the Internet. You 'talk' with others by typing on your computer keyboard.
The computer program you use on your computer is called a "client." Your "chat" takes place on a "server", another computer with special software.
Educational research has shown that real-time chat involves students in more serious discussions -- probably because students know their contributions are being "logged", or saved to a disk to be studied and graded after the class.
In addition, language researchers, like Dr. Susana M. Sotillo of MSU's Linguistics Department, have found that students who are less likely to speak up in class discussions are often more active participants in "real-time chat" discussions. Students may also develop greater fluency in expressing their thoughts by using real-time chat.
Real-time chat makes it possible to hold class when the class would otherwise have to be cancelled.
Real-time chat involves students much more than the traditional "lecture" or "Socratic-dialog" classroom format. Much educational research has found that the more students become involved in the subject matter, the more they learn.
How Do I Download the mIRC Client?
In order to download mIRC -- it is free -- go to the mIRC Home Page. (NOTE: If this page isn't working, you can use the British page). There are lots of pages of information about IRC generally, and mIRC (the 'client' program you download to run on your own computer) specifically.
Then download mIRC. The downloaded file is an executable file (ends in .exe). This means you just 'run' it to install it. Use 'Start-Run', browse to the correct folder and highlight the executable file -- mirc631.exe is the latest version as of February 18, 2008, when I am updating this page -- and then press the 'OK' button. mIRC will install itself.
How Do I Set Up the mIRC Client?
Double-click on the mIRC Icon -- it looks like this -- -- and the program will open, with
a little window called 'About mIRC', a photo of its creator, and some other things. Just
quit this window by clicking on the little "x" at the top right-hand corner of
this window.
The program will still be running, and the "mIRC Options" box opens up. This is where you set up your copy of mIRC for MSU's IRC server. Follow these directions:
1. Click on "Add". The "Add mIRC Server" box appears.
2. In the "Description" box, type MSU IRC Server.
3. In the "IRC Server" box, type caldwell.montclair.edu
4. In the "Port(s)" box, type 6667
5. In the "Group" box, type MSU , or you can leave it blank.
6. Click the "Add" button.
How Do I Configure the mIRC Client for My Personal Information?
Now you have to fill in your personal information, so you can be recognized on IRC.
1. In the "Full Name" box, type your full name.
(On 'real' IRC, people often do not identify themselves. But this is a class, and you have to do it in order to be recognized by your fellow group members and by me, and in order to get credit for what you contribute to the discussion).
2. In the "Email Address" box, type your email address.
3. In the "Nickname" box, type your real first and last names, but without any space between them. So, if your name is "Fred Smith", please make your "nick" FredSmith.
(On 'real' IRC everybody uses clever 'nicks', and often change them. But your fellow group members and I need to know who you really are. This is what will show up in the discussions to identify what you write).
4. Leave the "Alternative" box empty.
How Can I Use IRC On My Web Browser (without downloading and setting up the mIRC client)?
(NOTE: Your browser must be configured to use Java. On NetScape, go to Edit-Preferences-Advanced, and check the "Enable Java" box. Java will be enabled by default unless you or someone else has disabled it)
From Any Web Browser (NetScape Navigator, MS Internet Explorer),
1. Type in the following URL: http://caldwell.montclair.edu:8000/
2. When this page loads, check the little box that says "Use Light Chat? (Recommended for Older Browsers").
3. Click on the button underneath this checked box, which says "Load Chat Client".
This loads a Java applet (a little program that runs on the Web) that provides you with a very basic IRC client.
From here on, directions for "basic" IRC use are the same for either the dedicated IRC client mIRC or the Java applet client (mIRC and other dedicated IRC clients have many more commands, but we will not be using them here)
5. Now enter your personal information.
6. In the text window -- the long window where the cursor is -- type this:
/list
in the window marked 'Add New Room', and then press the 'Add New Room' button.
In either case you will enter the new channel you have chosen.
7. To quit a channel, type the command
/quit
This will put you back to the main page of the Java applet.
That's all!
From an MSU computer lab.
A. Using the mIRC client
1. Find MIRC32. It may be under
"Start-Programs-Applications-Classroom Applications", or something likethat.
2.. Double-click on the mIRC icon to open it up.
3. Follow the directions above, at
1. On mIRC, select "MSU IRC Server" from the "mIRC Options" (File-Options).
(NOTE: You should have already configured mIRC for the MSU IRC Server. If you haven't, go here., and then here.)
2. From a Web Browser, connect to the MSU IRC server. Wait til the "Conference Board" graphic appears. Click on it.
(NOTE: The fuller directions are above).
3. On mIRC, a screen pops up that is called "mIRC Channels Folder". Ignore all the preset channels. You will type the name of your Channel in the box at the top, called "Enter Name of Channel To Join".
On a Web Browser, type the pound sign (#, Shift-3) followed by the name of your Channel.
Each discussion group will have a Channel to itself.
The title of your Channel will correspond to the number of your discussion group in class.
For example, if you're in Great Books and Ideas II., your "test" channel will be #gbtest.
On the actual day of class, if you are in group 3, your channel will be called #gb3, and so on.
I'll let you know the names of the Channels well before class, probably by email to the class.
A "log" is a transcription of the discussion, word for word. Logging can only be done on the mIRC Client.
1. On the mIRC client, choose "File-Options"
2. In the "mIRC Options" box, click the little + (plus) sign to the left of "IRC", in the table at the left. This displays a number of IRC options. Click on "Logging."
3. In the "Automatically Log" box, check "Channels".
4. Click the "Lock Log Files", "Timestamp Logs" and "Date Filenames" boxes.
5. Leave the "Strip codes" and "Trim log files to:" boxes UNchecked.
That's it!
On both mIRC and a Web Browser, type
/quit
, followed by Enter, to quit the Channel and IRC.
NOTE: These are general IRC commands. They'll work on all IRC clients, like mIRC, and (most of them) on our bare-bones IRC Java client that runs on the Web browser (not all clients support all IRC commands -- mIRC supports most of them).
You'll need the simplest of commands.
ALL COMMANDS BEGIN WITH THE FORWARD SLASH -- /
You'll enter your commands on the bottom line, so make sure you have a cursor there. If you don't, put the mouse there and click to create one.
TO JOIN A CHANNEL
/join #channelname
ALL CHANNEL NAMES BEGIN WITH #.
Once you have done this, you are in!
TO CHANGE YOUR NICK
Change your screen name, called "nick" (like "nickname"):
/nick TaRzAn
Then everyone will see your new "nick" (screen name) as TaRzAn
PLEASE use your lastname and first initial as your "nick".
You can "emote" with the command /me , as in
/me feels like sneezing.
Everyone reads
(yournick) feels like sneezing.
You can leave the channel while staying on the server with
/leave #channelname
You can leave the channel AND disconnect from the server with
/quit
You won't need any more than this! If you do, ask during class and I will help you.
But, if you do want a fuller set of commands, so you can experiment around, try this site:
http://chss.montclair.edu/english/furr/ircclasses.html | Email me | last modified 18 Feb 08