Get Started With IRC

Internet Relay Chat or IRC may date back to the late 1980s, but it's still a great way to interact with people. You can chat with other Wing Commander fans in the #Wingnut channel on the CIC network (irc.wcnews.com). While this used to require a dedicated IRC program installed on your computer, it has never been easier to connect. You can even join in from your smartphone or tablet. It's hard to keep up with all the different clients, but below are a few options for each platform. Let us know in the comments if you know of a cool alternative!

• Our web interface is without a doubt the simplest way to connect. We've replaced the Flash application with a client that is built on HTML, CSS and JavaScript. No plugins required; it works on any recent browser, even mobile ones. Just direct your browser to www.wcnews.com/irc. You'll automatically join the #wingnut channel after picking a username and hitting Start.
• The Thunderbird e-mail application supports various real-time chat protocols out of the box. Here is a tutorial for configuring an IRC session. Our server is located at irc.wcnews.com. Put a username of your choice and don't worry about the password. Once you are connected, join the #wingnut channel.
• Chrome users can install the CIRC browser extension.
• Dedicated IRC applications are still the most powerful. Once you are more familiar with IRC, you may want to upgrade to one of these clients. mIRC or Hexchat for Windows, LimeChat or ircle for Mac and XChat for Linux are just a few options for PC. Tablet and phone users can try AndroIRC for Android, IRC Free for Windows Phone and Linkinus or Colloquy for iOS.