IRC
BritFur.FM IRC Channels
#BritFurFM is the default IRC channel for this radio station, however TigerTails Radio have their own dedicated IRC channel where listeners converse.
| Show | Server | Port | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| BritFur.FM | AnthroChat.net | 6667 | #BritFurFM |
| TigerTails Radio | AnthroChat.Net | 6667 | #TigerTailsRadio |
What is IRC?
IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat and is a popular chat room protocol connecting people up into public spaces where they can socialise with like minded people. There exists thousands of networks, these networks provide the hardware on which IRC runs under and is the first thing the user needs to connect to. The network may have a particular theme, such as one that hosts chat rooms for anime, while another network specialises in technology. You can think of it as a big public building hosting discussions and it is the first destination you must arrive at.
The network is made up of several servers; PC hardware that hosts the IRC software. Each server can host a certain number of users before performance is badly affected, so a network uses multiple servers that mirror the chat room. Often the servers is spread across different countries so people can connect to the nearest for speed performance.You can think of it as making sure there is enough capacity in the building for everyone to join the discussion.
Finally inside the server are the chat rooms, known as channels. Channels have a theme, subject or exist for a particular community. In our analogy you would say the public building has many rooms where different discussions are taking place.
How to Connect to IRC
You'll need a client to join an IRC chat room; a client is a programme that connects and communicates with the server. Clients in the form of either an external piece of software for your desktop, or embedded in your browser.
In the furry fandom, there's 2 major IRC networks dedicated to providing channels for furries to convene and chat in: AnthroChat and FurNet. In this case you're looking to connect to the AnthroChat network to reach the BritFur.FM chat channel. Read the instructions for your IRC client, it will explain if you need to type in a command line before the server address. For example:
/server husky.anthrochat.net
/channel #BritFurFM
Remember that the command lines vary (or may not even be neccesary) between clients, so check the help documentation provided.
Other IRC Channels of Interest
| Channel Name | Server | Port | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | FurNet.org | 6667 | #UK |
| NorthernFurs | FurNet.org | 6667 | #NorthernFurs |
| HardDrive Radio | FurNet.org | 6667 | #HardDrive |