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The PC Guide Live Chat Channel - Access Instructions

Note: If you somehow got to this page without first reading the warnings about the live chat (IRC) channel and agreeing to its terms and rules, please read this page and confirm your agreement before proceeding.

Welcome! Thanks for taking the time to read all those terms and conditions and warnings, and agreeing to them. While the warnings and rules are important, you are unlikely to have much of a problem using IRC, and well, this is about having some fun! :^) With that said, you can find below two different ways of accessing The PC Guide Live Chat Channel:

• You can use dedicated IRC client software. This gives you more control and flexibility, but you must download and install a client, and if it is shareware, you should pay to register it after your free trial period.
• You can use a Java IRC client on your Web browser. This has some advantages--it is free, and connecting is very simple and easy--but the Java client offers fewer bells and whistles than a full-fledged IRC client, and may not work on older browsers.

For those of who you are experienced at IRC, The PC Guide Live Chat Channel is on AustNet, channel #pcg. For those who are not, detailed instructions follow.

For access using an IRC client:

1. If necessary, download and install an IRC client program appropriate to your operating system. For Windows, one of the most popular programs is mIRC, which is a shareware client. You can try it free of charge but should register it if you plan to use it a lot.
2. If you are new to IRC, use the documentation that came with your IRC client to learn how to do the basics, such as setting your server and joining a channel.
3. Point to an AustNet server appropriate to your area, using the /server command or whatever is appropriate for your client. You can consult the full list of AustNet servers if you want, or more simply:
   • In the United States, use /server us.austnet.org
   • In Canada, use /server ca.austnet.org
   • In Europe, use /server eu.austnet.org
   • In Australia, use /server au.austnet.org
   • In New Zealand, use /server nz.austnet.org
   • Anywhere else, or if unsure what to use, try /server irc.austnet.org
4. Once you have connected to the server, choose a nickname, which can be any short name you want to use while on IRC. Note that if you choose a nickname that has been registered by someone already on AustNet, you'll receive a message from "NickOP". Choose a different nickname. The command for changing your nickname is /nick <whatever>
5. Join us in the channel #pcg using the command /join #pcg or whatever is appropriate for your IRC client.

You should be all set. Hope to see you there. :^) If you have questions about The PC Guide Live Chat Channel, see The PC Guide Live Chat Channel FAQ.

For access using a Java IRC client on a modern Web browser:

1. Load your browser and point to this address: http://chat.pacific.net.sg/cgi-bin/javairc.pl?mychann=pcg&mystartbutt=no
2. Wait for the client to load. This may take a few minutes the first time.
3. You will be asked for a nickname, which can be any short name you want to use while on IRC. Note that if you choose a nickname that has been registered by someone already on AustNet, you'll receive a message from "NickOP". Choose a different nickname. The command for changing your nickname is /nick <whatever>
4. When the Java client loads, it will pop up a couple of windows. One of these will be the #pcg channel, which is The PC Guide Live Chat Channel, what you are looking for. You may also see a channel called #livechat open up, which you can close if you wish. Do not shut down the main browser window or the Java client will stop working.

That's it! Hope to see you soon. :^) If you have questions about The PC Guide Live Chat Channel, see The PC Guide Live Chat Channel FAQ.

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