Firefox and JRE

[Tim]

On Sun, 2006-08-13 at 21:54 +0200, Nigel Henry wrote:
> I've never used IRC before, and don't particularly want to because of 
> security issues,

Which are probably mostly Windows security problems, and having to deal
with internet nutters with severe personality disorders...

If you don't run as root, don't install scripts, you shouldn't have any
problems worse than you get through other internet activities (mail, web
browsing, etc.).  I can imagine you having just as many potential
problems trying to run stuff in your web browser, never mind the hassles
of just getting it to work.

> but this French learning site at "about.com"  has a chatroom 
> which might be usefull to me.
>
> I looked at X-chat, but wasn't sure how to use it with this French
> learning site. The IRC channel is "irc.everywherechat.com". 

That's a server name, a channel would be something inside it (e.g. a
channel called #general).

> Any tips as to what I need to add to X-chat to access this IRC
> channel?

Nothing, unless it's not really IRC.  X-chat already has everything it
needs.  Though, if you mean what to configure in it, just whack that
domain name into the X-chat server list, and connect to it.  Once
connected, list the channels available, and join one.

If you can't figure out configuring the server list (it's like a web
browser's bookmarks), you can try issuing the commands by hand into the
main window.

e.g. /server irc.everywherechat.com

Other commands usually are issued the same way.

  To list available channels, type: /list
  To join one, type /join then the channel name, e.g. /join #chatroom

I can't connect to see what's in there, I'm k-lined.  Might have
something to do with what a friend mentioned to me a few days ago, about
half of Australia being g-lined from his favourite IRC server thanks to
some internet dickheads.

Yes, it's like that.  Nitwits who have nothing better to do than be a
pain, and idiot operators who do dumb things like ban a whole country.
Because of the first reason, I rarely ever frequent public IRC.  I used
to run my own private server so that friends could chat in peace,
otherwise you're having to put up with schoolyard types of brawls all
the damn time.  Be prepared for that, and learn to use the /ignore
command quickly.  Ignore challenges, strange files, instructions to run
scripts or reduce security, and weird people.

-- 
(Currently running FC4, occasionally trying FC5.)

Don't send private replies to my address, the mailbox is ignored.
I read messages from the public lists.