Is there some sort of Straight Dope Chat Room I’m missing? I occasionally hear about Dopers chatting, but I can’t seem to figure out where. Or are there just a few favorite haunts? Maybe you all use ICQ and the like? I haven’t chatted at all for years, and I figured if I ever want to, I want to chat with intelligent and/or interesting people (which I figure I could find a higher concentration of in an SD chatroom). Fill me in, if you please.
Download mIRC, connect to an Undernet server and then join #straightdope.
Of course if you truly are looking for INTELLIGENT conversation, then you may want to look elsewhere. All we seem to talk about is sex, licking, The Princess Bride and gross generalisations about genders…
1955: , Disneyland opened in Los Angeles, Elvis makes his first TV appearance, 1st sun-powered automobile demonstrated (Chicago, Ill.), Einstein died, James Dean diedThere is no Straight Dope chat room… There is no Straight Dope chat room… There is no Straight Dope chat room… There is no Straight Dope chat room…
Just kidding. Do you have IRC? If you do, get on an Undernet server and /join #straightdope. You have to be on an Undernet server.
…there is the occasional drug and alcohol conversations also… OH… and ALWAYS people talking about someone behind their backs… I think they change people every week.
Hi, dpr! Yes, I’ll have to agree with dpr and say that if intelligent conversation and debate is what you’re looking for, you’d be better off going to a teen chat. ::snicker:: Really, we just have a lot of fun there. (Unless we’re “backstabbing” someone. We do that often. :rolleyes: Nice, Whammo.)
Um…must admit my ignorance…what is IRC? I don’t know if I have it! How would I go about obtaining this mystery known as “IRC?”
Maybe I shouldn’t have said “intelligent” when “coherent and potentially insightful” is what I meant…!
What’s an undernet server. Do I have to sign up with another company?
Go to mIRC and you can download IRC for free. From that page you can also connect to an Undernet server. Once you’re connected (may take a while), go to #straightdope, and you’ll be all set.
See you in chat 
Rose
Boilerplate: #StraightDope is not affilated with The Straight Dope, The Reader, this board or its administration. #StraightDope exists solely as an informal meeting place for people who enjoy this board to chat in real time, but has no association with this board itself. Issues with #StraightDope should be kept off this board (as has been requested in the past) and directed towards the channel in general. Questions regarding #StraightDope may be directed to me, either in chat or via email at edamoth@inil.com or AIM with the username of Edamoth.
That said, everything above is correct. Download mIRC for the PC or Ircle for the Mac. Find an Undernet server to be on (you might need to be patient lately. Undernet’s been having some issues) and then /join #StraightDope. Hope this helps
By this I meant people who have problems with the people, or content, of #StraightDope. I don’t think that the board admins have a problem with the channel being mentioned or even talked about openly, but it’s been made clear that they don’t want any #SD arguments brought onto the board, including the Pit. If I’m wrong on any of this, I’m sure someone will let me know.
Don’t you roll your eyes at ME missy!!
Thanks everyone. Unfortunately, mIRC is apparently shareware, and I’m extremely cheap. Ah, well. It’s there if I crave it, at least.
Well, don’t give up just yet! There’s plenty of free IRC clients out there for those who feel guilty about not sending Khaled Mardam-Bey his twenty bucks. You may wish to also try:
fIRC
MaxxChat
Microsoft chat
vIRC
All of which are bona fide Freeware. I’ve never tried any of those myself, but I’ve heard decent things about vIRC and offer the rest as alternate suggestions.
Thank you, sir. This tightwad shall remember your kindness.
Next time you find a shiny penny on the sidewalk, you’ll know who put it there.
I believe Joph will also not be recommending fIRC… heehee.
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Yeah… your milage may vary, but in my new opinion, fIRC suxx0rz 
Mainly because it locks up as soon as you enter a channel which makes it fairly difficult to enjoy the pleasures of chatting.
fIRC you too Joph
I actually used Microsoft Chat last night at one point when I was having problems getting into Undernet…it got in really quickly with no lag, but the layout isn’t as nice as, say, mIRC. (It keeps saying host so&so said xxxxxxxxx) But it is free (comes with windows) and found a fast server which is a bit of a miracle at the mo.
Now if I were paranoid, I might think it was all a plot by, oops said too much, gotta go…
Whammo is right we ALWAYS talk about people in chat behind their backs, why this week we were talking about Democritus behind his back and what an ass he is :D. So Gunhilde, dont let what other people say dissuade you from chat, most who claim we always backstab rarely come in anyway.
Anyway Undernet has been having problems because of DoS attacks (Denial of Service), which are intended to disrupt the hosts for the IRC servers. IRC servers are a free service, and if the providers find the attacks are interrupting their business too much, they may discontinue IRC services (IRC is one of the last vestiges of the “classic” net). This same thing happened to EFNet, which is wounded but still functioning. So, it takes a while to get on to a working server. I’ve had to throttle a server in order to get in, myself.
More detail can be found at http://www.undernet.org
Yes… but why say it behind Demo’s back when its so much more fun to say it to his face???
And ALRIGHT! OK! Sheesh! I’m not trying to disuade ANYONE from chat. Most of the time its a VERY fun place, I’ve had lots of fun there myself! When I go. Doob.