Knowra Internet Relay Chat Internet Relay Chat Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a protocol for real-time text communication through channels and private messages. Its distributed network of servers relays messages among connected clients.
IRC client : An application that connects to IRC servers and lets users send commands and messages. Clients issue IRC commands to join channels, exchange messages, and manage connections.
Jarkko Oikarinen : A Finnish programmer who created Internet Relay Chat in 1988. Oikarinen developed IRC while working on the OuluBox bulletin-board system.
Internet Relay Chat bots : Automated IRC clients that perform tasks such as moderation, information retrieval, or channel management. Bots extend channels with automated services and governance.
XMPP : An open messaging protocol designed for real-time communication, presence, and extensible services. XMPP offers extensible messaging and presence where IRC centers on channels and text commands.
Internet culture : Shared practices, norms, language, and communities shaped through internet use. IRC channels helped form recognizable online communities and interaction norms.
IRC server : A server that accepts IRC client connections and relays messages and state to other servers. Servers form the network that carries channel membership and messages between clients.
OuluBox : A bulletin-board system at the University of Oulu in Finland, where IRC was first developed. IRC began as a way to extend live discussion on this system.
IRC channel operator : A user granted privileges to manage an IRC channel, including moderating participants and settings. Channel operators maintain order in busy or public discussions.
Matrix : An open protocol and network for federated real-time communication, including persistent rooms and bridges. Matrix adds persistent history and richer federation features beyond IRC’s traditional channel model.
Internet meme : A cultural item or idea that spreads and changes through imitation, especially online. IRC communities circulated jokes and in-group references across early online networks.
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