Please excuse me for being long winded... but when first approached with the idea of creating another "WebZine", I was a little, well, apprehensive. Although I understand the free nature of the WWW and the Internet in general, It seemed to me that a group of people (non professionals) getting together to publish a web magazine seemed a little arrogant.

When one crawls through The Web and sees what is currently out there in the way of free magazines, websites, webpages, ftp servers, download sites and the massive amount of writing, drawing, programming talent, all put into various publications, it made me wonder what we could possibly have to offer that isn't already available.

As we discussed the idea and possibilities of what was to be published, we noticed that there was a huge gap when someone tried to find IRC related information. As the group of us involved in this project met on IRC, (the "chat" lines) it was soon decided that we would pool our collective knowledge and put it in a webzine that would try and fill that gap.

The idea of another WebZine suddenly seemed less arrogant.

The spirit of the Internet and The Web, publishing for the masses from the masses became a concept I could understand: a technological answer for the question "how do I pass on information I have on to someone else around the world, who may be looking for that particular information?"

Well, at 34 years old, I (and a few million others) have found the answer. The Internet, The Web, and IRC is the way. It is by no means a free medium but it is however a very accessible medium. In several formats The Web can give anyone access to an almost unlimited supply of information on any topic they may be inclined to research.

Now we have an idea of what we are doing, the next question is: Why?

...Of this, I can only speak for myself. As a member of the "Staff" at the Zine, the role I will try to fill will be one of "TechEditor", one I am not totally comfortable with as I am not a seasoned programmer by any stretch of the imagination, but am very interested and intent on learning. There is a lot of HTML, Script, Unix, Perl, CGI, ActiveX, and Java work done on The Web that I admire. It will become interesting for me to watch and see what TechPages will look like in a couple of years.

Enough About Me and The WEB already....Lets Talk IRC

About two years ago I purchased a modem. The only intent I had at that time was to get an Internet account, (whatever that was!) and an email address. I had a good idea what the WWW was about thanks to many friends at work. I had been discussing the subject of the WWW with my co-workers, but was not aware of how the chat lines worked. My first experience with chatting was on one of the MEGA providers chat forums. I found the service entertaining but expensive. I was only signed for a month.

When I was turned on to IRC (Internet Relay Chat) on The Internet, I found the chat very different to what I had experienced on the MEGA provider. First off, I had to try all the different networks out there. I know there are reasons for choosing one specific but I am a follower in this respect...that is I go where the buds are.

Choosing a specific network for most IRC users will likely be as simple as the one they get on first. First isn't always best, and I would urge everyone to try all the networks before deciding on one to frequent. But keep in mind, you don't have to choose one, you can go to some or all if you are so inclined! I am usually found on AnotherNet or DalNet.

Next I had to settle on a Chat client. By the time I had browsed all the networks I settled with mIRC. There are a few different types of IRC clients out there, and they all have different features and highlights. You may even consider trying them all before deciding the best client for you.

All the small details aside the biggest decision was channel selection. This is probably the most personal decision of all. There are thousands of channels out there and no easy way to know where to start other than the (#channel) name. This is just a look and see decision for the new IRCer.

Who uses IRC anyway?

Lots of people! IRC has to be the most addictive part of the Internet. Why some people get on and can't get off for hours is a mystery, but a part of the answer must be the diversity of people we meet. You can find doctors, ditchdiggers, hourly, salary, self employed contracted, gay, straight, black, white, American, Asian....well you get the idea, the proverbial "melting pot" of people and cultures. IRC folk tend to be very "now" and "who are you?" and "whatsup?" type of people as opposed to introverted quiet types. IRC is the kinda place where some people are always looking for a party. IRC is also a place for the lonely as well as those in the party mood. There are "Strange" channels and Strange People, there are grandmothers looking to talk about grandkids, there are men and women between relationships looking for company, there are Christians looking to spread the good word, there are .....on and on I go.

So Why A WebZine Devoted to IRC?

As I said, all of us on the ChaTcIRCuiT staff met on IRC, well, except my wife, Hthr and I! We talked about the lack of compiled information on IRC and IRC related topics, so it seemed natural that this is what we should devote our energy to. We also want to be able to create a forum for new and seasoned IRC users, to find and display information otherwise not available in a bookstore, or spread out hopelessly over The Web.

All of us at ChaTcIRCuiT have talents in various area's concerning IRC and chatting, and will using those talents to bring even more info to the Zine. This endeavor lends itself to be a serious learning experience for us all.

As you can see, as I said, I am not a professional writer by any means, but one thing I am is enthusiastic about, is the WWW, IRC and The Internet in general. ChaTcIRCuiT will give us the format to bring entertaining, informative, and educational information as it pertains to IRC and Chat. I hope I have succeeded in giving you an overview of my vision for ChaTcIRCuiT WebZiNe, and where it will go from here!

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