I confess, I'm not sure what IRC is and not enough info in the #address for me to get there easily. ;-(

I think this is a mis-characterization of the medium and its usage. I've been using IRC since, oh, 1991 or so, however, so it's a natural thing for me. One of the issues - especially with software support channels - is that they are actually *slow moving*. And you're supposed to idle and wait for answers. IRC is a *background* process; you throw the window at the bottom of the stack and wait for it to notify you that someone has said something to you. I can help you get online if you like. I'll need to know what kind of computer you use. On 8/24/11 10:01 AM, Arnaud HERVE wrote: > On 22/08/2011 04:58, carolmooredc(a)verizon.net wrote: >> I confess, I'm not sure what IRC is and not enough info in the #address >> for me to get there easily. ;-( > IRC is a chat system, except it is a bit more difficult to install and > register in than say your average msn or skype. But basically you type > messages with your keyboard, and they disappear as several other people > answer. > > It was used first by professional geeks, and it has recently spread to > clever teenagers. > > Since you are new to it I might as well give you my own experience, > warning you though that it is entirely negative. > > The first time i used irc was about a software that I used, because the > programmers on that website said "if you have questions please pay us a > visit on irc". I found it extremely inconvenient, because : > > - You did not find the right person to answer your question if that > person appeared to be offline. > > - The other way round, interesting answers given on irc quickly > disappeared and were not published for all the other interested people > to read. > > In other words, irc was for me insanely unproductive, especially > compared to the forum that the website already had, with messages that > could wait online for the right reply, or stayed online for readers with > same questions. > > Also, the discussions were not categorized on irc, or had no title like > here, so that with your question you were forced to meddle in other > conversations going on about other topics. > > I then thought that irc was a media for computer-illiterate people. You > may ask then why was it used by programmers ? Well it was a social need > for programmers to gather in a specific space not for noobs. > > The second time I used irc was in my leisure time, in connection with a > team for the translation of Japanese anime. > > There was a lot of pleasant chat, banter, even quizz games, but it was > very difficult to maintain a conversation about the translation of > Japanese anime amidst all that noise. > > Also, since I was already typing around 3k words a day, it proved > impossible for me to stay on the keyboard in the evening. I had to go > out, walk, watch movies... well in general turn away from the computer. > Or get a life is another way of putting it. > > Another element that disturbed me is the > conversation-between-close-friends atmosphere that irc creates. Those > people were more like hobby acquaintances, not the kind of friends who > will visit you if you are sick, who will help you moving furniture > between appartments, etc. Not even people you will eat with. The > atmosphere was too friendly for people you hardly know. I was too > old-school for that I guess. > > The common point between geek users and teenager users is that irc is > for people who : > > - do not use computers intensively in their work, or do not mind using > them intensivey again in their free time > > - don't mind spending their evenings typing alone in their rooms, making > friends with unknown people > > - don't mind if their messages disappear, don't mind if some relevant > readers will never read them > > - don't mind if they miss relevant messages if they happen to be away > > - don't mind sympathizing closely with people that they will never see > or are ready to forget immediately > > As a conclusion, irc is from my point of view totally incompatible with > political discussions, which would require taking time to write to write > articulate messages, taking time to read them, separating the topics to > make them reasonably readable, and a social atmosphere suited for > distant sympathizers for a cause. > > My two cents, anyway who am I to criticize, since I won't use it. I have > documents to read instead. I don't chat, I read and write. > > If you don't know how to register, have someone show you, you will make > your own opinion. > > Arnaud > >

It sounds good for socializing, announcing and and brainstorming, but without archiving seems problematic for ongoing organizing. (I.e. task oriented people like me might not like it as much as social networking oriented people)