People use IRC to talk online.
You can type to many friends. You can also talk one-on-one. It uses text to send words. This helps us share news fast. It is a fun way to chat. Do you like to chat online?
IRC is a way to chat online.
People use it to send text messages. You can talk in big groups. You can also talk to one person.
A person makes a chat program. Then they use a big computer called a server. The server helps connect all the users. A man in Finland made it long ago. It was made in 1988. It helps people share news very fast. It is a very old way to talk online.
IRC is a way to chat online using text.
It lets people talk in big groups. These groups are called channels. You can also send private messages to one person.
To use IRC, you need two parts. First, you use a client. A client is a program on your computer. Some people use web apps or desktop programs. Next, you connect to a server. A server is a large computer that manages the chat.
Many servers can link together to make a big network.
A man named Jarkko Oikarinen made IRC in 1988. He worked at a university in Finland. He wanted a way to have real-time talks. At first, the whole network ran on one server. This server was named tolsun.oulu.fi.
IRC has changed a lot over the years. Some networks grew very large. Others split apart due to disagreements. Today, many people use social media instead. Still, hundreds of IRC networks still work. One new network is called Libera Chat. It was started in May 2021.
Internet Relay Chat, or IRC, is a system for talking through text.
It is a way for people to send instant messages to each other. People often use it to talk in big groups called channels. You can also use it to send private messages to just one person.
Some people even use it to share files. It is a very old way to stay connected online.
How does this system work? It uses a client-server model. A client is the program you use to type your messages. You might use a web app or a desktop program like mIRC.
The client connects to a server. A server is a large computer that manages the chat. Many servers can link together to form a huge network. This allows users from different places to talk in the same channels.
IRC was created by Jarkko Oikarinen in August 1988. He was working at the University of Oulu in Finland. He wanted to make a better way to have real-time discussions. He worked with his friends Jyrki Kuoppala and Jukka Pihl to build the first chat parts. The very first network ran on just one server named tolsun.oulu.fi.
Soon, servers in other universities joined to make the network grow.
Over many years, the IRC world saw many big changes. Sometimes groups of servers split apart because of disagreements. These splits created new networks like EFnet, Undernet, DALnet, and IRCnet. In 1990, the EFnet network was formed after a fight over server rules. By the year 2000, IRC was very popular. In the early 2000s, it even reached 10 million users. However, usage began to drop after 2003 as people moved to social media.
Today, IRC is still around even if it is not as huge as it once was. There are about 481 different IRC networks operating now. One newer network is called Libera Chat, which started in May 2021. It has many channels and many servers. While many people use sites like Facebook or X, IRC remains a special tool. It is a way to communicate that has lasted for over thirty years.
Internet Relay Chat, or IRC, is a text-based communication system used for instant messaging.
It is designed primarily for group discussions within dedicated spaces called channels. However, the protocol also supports one-on-one private messages and data transfers, such as file sharing. IRC functions as an application layer protocol, which means it provides the specific rules that allow computers to exchange text information. Today, IRC exists as a collection of many different networks that connect users across the globe.
The system operates using a client-server networking model.
A client is the software a person uses to interact with the chat. These can be standalone desktop programs like mIRC or HexChat, web-based applications like KiwiIRC, or even embedded tools. The client connects to an IRC server, which is a computer that manages the messages. To create a larger community, multiple servers can link together to form an IRC network. This architecture allows a user on one server to communicate with a user on a completely different server within the same network.
IRC was created by Jarkko Oikarinen in August 1988. He was working at the University of Oulu in Finland within the Department of Computer Science. Oikarinen wanted to improve a program called MUT (MultiUser Talk) on a system known as OuluBox. He aimed to add real-time discussion features and news updates similar to the Usenet style. To build the initial chat functions, he used code written by his friends Jyrki Kuoppala and Jukka Pihl. The very first network ran on a single Sun-3 server named tolsun.oulu.fi.
As the system grew, the network expanded through various "forks" or splits. A fork occurs when a group of people takes the existing code and starts a new, separate network. In August 1990, the first major disagreement led to the creation of EFnet. This happened because a server named eris.berkeley.edu allowed too much chaos, such as "nick-colliding" users. Most users chose to join the new EFnet rather than stay with the original group. Later, in 1992, a group in the United States started Undernet to develop bots and improve channel management. This network eventually connected French and Canadian servers to the US, creating a massive international system.
Other significant networks emerged from further technical disagreements. In 1994, DALnet was formed to provide better user protections and services. DALnet introduced features like longer nicknames, which broke the original nine-letter limit. It also added tools like ChanServ to help users register and protect their channels. In July 1996, "The Great Split" occurred when the European-based IRCnet separated from the US-based EFnet. This split was caused by disagreements over technical standards, such as whether to use timestamps or different methods for managing nicknames and channels. By the year 2000, these networks were massive, with IRCnet reaching 70,000 users and EFnet reaching 50,000.
IRC has experienced massive shifts in popularity over the decades. In the early 2000s, the system reached a peak of 10 million simultaneous users. However, usage began to decline steadily after 2003. Many users migrated to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. By 2012, IRC had lost 60 percent of its user base. Despite this, the system remains active with approximately 481 different networks in operation. For example, the open-source network Libera Chat, founded in May 2021, has become a major hub with over 20,000 channels.
Modern IRC has evolved to include many advanced technical features. Many servers now use TLS, which is a security protocol that makes it harder for others to eavesdrop on a connection. Servers also use "cloaking" to hide a user's hostmask, protecting them from certain types of digital attacks. There is also ongoing work through a group called IRCv3 to create new standards for better notifications and security. While the era of massive, mainstream dominance has passed, IRC remains a specialized tool for many technical communities and interest groups worldwide.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (4)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.