[Techtalk] IRC --IM

[Meredydd Luff]

IRC and instant messaging overlap quite a bit, in fact sufficiently that most 
multi-IM clients (Gaim, Trillian and Kopete I think, Everybuddy even though 
it's hardly usable on channels) support IRC like any other IM service, and 
there's at least one project (bitlbee) going the other way. However, the big 
thing IM has and IRC lacks is presence notification. Instant messengers tell 
you when someone on your buddy list goes on- or offline. IM clients emulate 
this with periodic WHOISes of all your buddy list, but it's somewhat tiresome.

On the other hand, IRC makes up for it by being much better at actual 
chatting than many other protocols, and also being completely open and 
human-readable. No other IM system AFAIK has /me, or things like CTCP pings, 
or such an effective system for channel operators.

In other words, it's a tradeoff. You pays your money (or not, as the case may 
be)...

Meredydd

On Wednesday 15 January 2003 05:42, Andrew wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> 	Thanks to Gretchen's question and Hamster's answer, I managed my first IRC
> session. Strangely enough I ran into people I recognized  from here. Weird
> huh?(-:
> 	I used KVirc, it seemed the only offering, there are a lot of IM programs
> installed, (Mdrk8.2 Mostly default install). What is KSirc?
> 	What is the diff from IM?
>
> 	Andrew
> _______________________________________________
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-- 

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