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Posts with tag irc

Filed under: Internet, Web services, web 2.0

Mibbit: Web-based IRC client makes IRC look easy

Mibbit
Mibbit is a new IRC client that -- wait, they still make IRC clients? While AOL, MSN, Google, Skype and others dominate the world chat scene these days, once upon a time IRC or Internet Relay Chat was king. And while IRC doesn't get much attention these days, it's still alive, kicking, and useful if you need a multi-user chat system for communicating with co-workers, open source project developers, or anonymous folks you might want to trade files with.

So what makes Mibbit different from old school IRC clients? It's web-based, which means you can run it from anywhere. But despite the fact that you can run Mibbit from your web browser, you get all of the features you'd expect from a desktop based IRC client, and then some.

There's a search engine that lets you find channels by keyword. You can change the color scheme, and even use a built in translator to communicate with users in different languages. Each new channel or server screen opens in a new Mibbit tab, and if you're running Mibbit in a tabbed browser, you'll get cute little alerts like "Server stuff!" or "People said stuff!"

There's even a Mibbit widget that you can install on your web site to let visitors chat with you via IRC.

[via WebWare]

Filed under: Developer, Internet, Productivity

Kill IRC repetition with the xkcd ROBOT9000

Don't speakIf you're an IRC user, then you know the only thing more annoying than seeing the same comment repeated in rapid succession by four different people is seeing it repeated in rapid succession by 24 different people. The more members there are in an IRC channel, the more likely it is that someone just joining will ask a question that was asked moments before their arrival. Add to that the number of people "LOL"ing "+1"ing each other and the signal-to noise ratio quickly becomes deafening.

In an attempt to stop the madness, Randall Munroe (of xkcd fame) and his friend zigdon have coded a rather awesome little bot and named it ROBOT9000. It's designed -- get this -- to mute the messaging ability of anyone who says anything that's already been said in the channel within the past two years (boy, those xkcd guys mean business.).

Randall and zig are still tweaking the code but you can snag the initial version if you want to try it out in your own channel. They've also set up an IRC testing channel if you want to just play around with the bot. Just don't say "hi all" when you log in. You've been warned.

Filed under: Internet, Linux, Open Source

Ubuntu Open Week: Learn about Ubuntu Linux through online workshops

Ubuntu Open Week
Canonical is set to release Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon on October 18th. The following week, the Ubuntu Community is hosting an Ubuntu Open Week, which is essentially a series of online workshops for anyone who's ever had a question about the popular Linux distribution and how its community works.

You can talk to some of the project's key developers, engage in a Q&A with founder Mark Shuttleworth, and learn more about the Ubuntu community. If you want to learn more about a particular Ubuntu project or if you'd like to find out about becoming a developer or tester, this is a great way to get started.

The sessions will all take place on IRC. You'll need to visit the #ubuntu-classroom channel on irc.freenode.net. If you need a refresher on how to use a Windows or Linux IRC client, the organizers have even put together a handy page explaining how to join the chats.

Ubuntu Open Week runs from Monday, Oct 22nd through Saturday, Oct 27th.

Filed under: Internet, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, E-mail, Mozilla, Open Source

SeaMonkey 1.0 Internet suite released

SeaMonkeyOne of the Mozilla foundation's lower-profile projects is SeaMonkey, the modern incarnation of the old Mozilla Suite. SeaMonkey is an all-in-one bundle consisting of a modern web browser, e-mail and newsgroup client, an IRC client, and an HTML editor. Today its first major release--1.0--hit the streets. You can download it for all major platforms from the SeaMonkey web site or check out the release notes to see what's new.

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

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