# The unofficial SDMB IRC chat room. Where is it nowadays? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 21, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unofficial-sdmb-irc-chat-room-where-is-it-nowadays/388786 "2007-01-21T02:50:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unofficial-sdmb-irc-chat-room-where-is-it-nowadays/388786/1 "2007-01-21T02:50:51Z")
Howdy. I recall there was an IRC chat room, first on [underworlds.net](http://underworlds.net), then to Newnet, under the channel #straightdope. Where’d it go? Is it still being used? Currently, I’m “studying” and “typing”, but I was going to pull it up and leave it in the background. Any of y’all still chattin’ there? Tripler Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unofficial-sdmb-irc-chat-room-where-is-it-nowadays/388786/2 "2007-01-21T02:54:13Z")
It still seems to be there. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unofficial-sdmb-irc-chat-room-where-is-it-nowadays/388786/3 "2007-01-21T03:29:16Z")
Found it. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unofficial-sdmb-irc-chat-room-where-is-it-nowadays/388786/4 "2007-01-21T04:23:24Z")
Could someone show me how to get there, please? I don’t know what an irc client is or how to get one and what to do once I did. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unofficial-sdmb-irc-chat-room-where-is-it-nowadays/388786/5 "2007-01-21T04:29:31Z")
A good client program to start with is mIRC (just search for it, or go to [mIRC.com](http://www.mirc.com/)). Once installed, it will ask you for your name, desired handle, and give you a list of servers to pick from. Make sure it’s a **Newnet** server. It ought to say something like “Newnet: US, WA, Seattle” or similar. Then click ‘connect’. From there it’ll do it’s thing, and all you need to do is type in the channel to join: “#straightdope”. The pound sign indicates a channel. From there, they’ll get you hooked up! Tripler Give 'er a whirl. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unofficial-sdmb-irc-chat-room-where-is-it-nowadays/388786/6 "2007-01-21T04:32:42Z")
[QUOTE=Tripler] From there it’ll do it’s thing, and all you need to do is type in the channel to join: “#straightdope”. The pound sign indicates a channel. [/QUOTE] You might have to type in “/join #straightdope” without the quote marks. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unofficial-sdmb-irc-chat-room-where-is-it-nowadays/388786/7 "2007-01-21T04:39:27Z")
I thought IRC was a bad deal because it was an easy route for [viruses & malware](http://www.mirc.net/newbie/dangers.php) ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unofficial-sdmb-irc-chat-room-where-is-it-nowadays/388786/8 "2007-01-21T04:50:05Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] I thought IRC was a bad deal because it was an easy route for [viruses & malware](http://www.mirc.net/newbie/dangers.php) [/QUOTE] IRC is like any other place on the Internet. As long as you don’t accept file transfer requests from people you don’t know or piss people off, you’re generally safe. I’ve been doing this for about 10 years now, and have never had a problem. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unofficial-sdmb-irc-chat-room-where-is-it-nowadays/388786/9 "2007-01-21T04:52:30Z")
Thank you **Tripler** and **Revenant Threshold**! I appreciate the info. I’m off to go check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-unofficial-sdmb-irc-chat-room-where-is-it-nowadays/388786/10 "2007-01-21T06:46:57Z")
Thanks for the flashback folks, I used to host/run a server on Newnet, had no idea it still existed, since you know, everything springs into existence when I arrive and dissolves into dust when I leave. Geesh I wasted a lot of time there.