Ok folks, I want in on this chat thing. I have mIRC32, and I went to #straightdope- but I’m all alone. Help a computer challenged child, please! 
What do I need, and where do I go once I get it?
Make sure you’re logged in to an Undernet server. When it first comes up, there will be a long list of servers. Choose one of the Undernet ones, and click on “Connect to server.” Then when it asks for the channel, type in #straightdope.
you rock
thanks for the help.