The IRC (Internet relay chat) protocol was developed in 1988 by Jarkko Oikarinen as a way for users on a BBS to chat amongst themselves. Distributed chat communications has a history going back to the early 1970's though in the 1960's some of the early programmers recognized that multi-user human communication was the wave of the future. Before IRC the earlier programs were limited to transmit messages between two users at a time. IRC use most likely slowed down a bit when instant messaging programs like ICQ and later AIM were developed.

IRC as described in the Wickipedia:
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a form of real-time Internet chat or synchronous conferencing. It is mainly designed for group communication in discussion forums called channels, but also allows one-to-one communication via private message, as well as chat and data transfers via Direct Client-to-Client.

The results are in for our Software Forum's 2011 Member Choice IRC Client Poll

Taking 1st place was none.

Following with in 2nd was mIRC.

And 3rd was xChat

*The full list we explored below:

AmIRC
BitchX
Bersirc
ChatZilla
Colloguy
EPIC
HydraIRC
IceChat
ii
ircII
IRCle
Irssi
Jini
Klient
Konversation
Kopete
koroIRC
KSirc
KVIrc
Linkinus
Miranda IM
Opera
OrnateIRC
PhibianIRC
Pidgin
PJIRC
pIRCh
savIRC
ScrollZ
Snak
ShadowIRC
Trillian
TurboIRC
Visual IRC
Vortec IRC
WeeChat
Wookie Chat
various java-based webchats
Skype
Gadu-gadu

got feedback? got feedback?

Any feedback you provide is sent to the owner of this FAQ for possible incorporation and shown publically as well.

by aefstoggaflm edited by lilhurricane
last modified: 2011-07-10 22:45:32