Hi everyone,
I am excited to announce the launch of *WikiLounge*, a new, always-on IRC
web client and bouncer built specifically for the Wikimedia community and
hosted securely on Wikimedia Cloud Services (WMCS).
For many Wikimedians, IRC remains a vital platform for real-time
collaboration, seeking help, and monitoring projects. However, traditional
IRC drops your connection when you close your browser or go offline,
causing you to miss out on conversations while you are away.
WikiLounge solves this by acting as a persistent bouncer. It keeps your IRC
presence active 24/7 on Libera.Chat network. When you log back in via your
web browser or mobile device, you can read all the channel history and
private messages you missed.
We have just completed a major upgrade and deployed a new *Unified Web
Dashboard* to make joining and managing your account as easy as possible.
*Key Features:*
- *Always-On Connection:* Catch up on missed messages when you return.
- *Mobile-Friendly:* A clean, responsive web interface powered by
open-source software (The Lounge).
- *Automated Self-Service:* Securely log in using your Meta-Wiki account
via OAuth to request access, change your server password, or declare a
"Wikibreak" to pause inactivity limits.
*How to join:* To protect server resources and prevent abuse, WikiLounge
requires users to have at least 500 global edits across Wikimedia projects.
If you meet the requirements and would like an account, you can read the
full documentation and apply directly through the new automated portal:
- *Documentation:* https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/IRC/WikiLounge
- *Public Portal:* https://wikilounge.wmcloud.org/
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me, drop a task in
Phabricator under the *WikiLounge* project, or join us in our newly
created IRC channel *#wikimedia-lounge.*
Regards,
User:ZI Jony