I want to remind you that since 2008 I have opened my own Internet Relay Chat channel. At the time I wrote:
For those of you familiar with the concept here is the info:IRC channels is what geeks like myself use to communicate with each other (-: we live fora for the noobs :-). If you want to exchange news, or chat with each other, please use this channel. You can also easily create a private room to talk one on one. Finally, it is far less likely that the bad guys will record your posts then on a regular forum.
server: irc.maddshark.net
channel: The_Vineyard
full URL: irc://maddshark.net/The_Vineyard
For those of you who are no familiar with IRC, this is a virtual place were people can chat (via keyboard) with each other very informally and, unlike a forum, where no record is kept of the chats (at least not by default, this can be done, of course). To join such a chat you need a little piece of software called an "IRC client". If you use GNU/Linux (which you should), the best known one is Xchat. If you are still using Windows or Mac (why?!) you can install an extension to Firefox (you are *not* using Internet Exploder, right?!) called ChatZilla which you can find here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/16. Just click on "download", then accept the installation, then restart Firefox, then go to "tools" and then click on "ChatZilla".
You can get all the info on how to use ChatZilla here: http://chatzilla.hacksrus.com/
Another option is to use the excellent mibbit website: just click on "start chatting now", then choose the "Maddshark webirc" from the IRC drop down menu, then enter any Nick (nickname) you want, then enter the channel #The_Vineyard and press "go" and that's it!
I have no idea whether I will open a forum at a later date or not, but probably not. I like the comments section as it is, and I will get much faster moderation as soon as the "new new blog" will be up (it is being rebuilt from the ground up right now).
The big advantage of the IRC is that I don't have to moderate it (though I can if I want). Please be nice to everybody though, because the friends who are hosting this channel (HAL9000 and jaguar) will kick or ban you if you misbehave.
So please try it out, it is open for the entire Saker community!
Now I got to hit the road again. See later folks!
Kind regards and cheers,
The Saker
