Osho's HeartBeats - #osho Chat!

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Where the client part of the IRC server-client relationship lives on your computer, IRC servers are the machines on the internet you connect to in order to chat with other people. IRC servers are linked together in distinct IRC networks, of which there are several. For those interested in exploring IRC further, more info on IRC networks and IRC servers is available. As the #osho channel is currently registered on the U.S. and Australian Undernet IRC networks, I'm going to focus on these.

The UNDERNET

The Undernet is one of the most stable and user friendly IRC networks out there, and this was the reason why it is the network of choice for #osho. As many IRC client programs come pre-configured with a list of servers, it is highly likely that some Undernet ones are included in the list. You can either use one of those, or add any or all of the servers listed below to those you already have. Just choose the "add new server" function in your software, and then copy and paste the names listed here for each server. All Undernet servers use port 6667 and none require passwords.

Which server to use?

Ideally, choose the server that is physically closest to you. Certain servers are "closed" to certain domains, i.e., someone in the U.S. might be refused access to a server in Japan or Europe because there are other servers in the same network closer to the user. But aside from this type of limitation, you can use any server in a given network that you can get a connection to. Sometimes, particularly during "peak usage periods," you might have to try 3 or 4 servers before you can "get in," so don't despair...it pays to be persistent. Eventually you may learn that one server is consistently better for your location than others.

US or OZ (Australian) UNDERNET?

What's the difference between the U.S. and Australian Undernet systems? Well, although they are similarly named and are administered in much the same way, they are distinct networks and don't "talk" to each other. This means that there are, in effect, two #osho channels, one for each network. Most activity seems to happen on the larger US Undernet system, but there are times when the Oz system is easier for people to get into.

Once you've connected to a server, you are ready to join #osho and chat!

For those of you with IRC clients that support "CHAT" format file-links from the WWW, this icon should connect you to #osho on the indicated server. If you see a few lines of text or are prompted to save a file, then you either don't have the right kind of client, or you might need some help.

Here is a list of US Undernet servers around the world. A more up-to-date list is available via the World Wide Web.

US UNDERNET SERVERS

United States	South America
Ann-Abor.MI.US.Undernet.Org	Santiago.CL.Undernet.Org
Austin.TX.US.Undernet.Org
Chicago.IL.US.Undernet.Org	Europe
Davis.CA.US.Undernet.Org	Amsterdam.NL.EU.Undernet.Org
Manhattan.KS.US.Undernet.Org	Caen.FR.EU.Undernet.Org
Norman.OK.US.undernet.org	Diemen.NL.EU.Undernet.Org
Phoenix.AZ.US.Undernet.Org	Ljubljana.SI.EU.Undernet.Org
Pittsburgh.PA.US.undernet.org	Oslo.NO.EU.Undernet.Org
SanJose.CA.US.Undernet.Org
Washington.DC.US.Undernet.Org	Australia and New Zealand
	Sydney.NSW.AU.Undernet.Org
Canada	Wollongong.NSW.AU.Undernet.Org
Montreal.QU.CA.Undernet.Org	Auckland.NZ.Undernet.Org
Vancouver.BC.CA.Undernet.Org

The OZ Undernet has fewer servers, and are not as geographically oriented. The access rights are listed with the individual servers. A more up-to-date list is available via the World Wide Web.

OZ UNDERNET SERVERS

wollongong.oz.org For connections from .edu.au, .csiro.au, .gov.au .oz.au, and *.id.au only. This server is located at The University of Wollongong	davis.oz.org Accepts all connections except .au and 203.. Overseas clients should use this server. This server is located at The University of California
mpx.sydney.oz.org Will accept all connections. This server is located at Microplex Pty. Ltd in Sydney	aussie.sydney.oz.org Will accept all connections. This server is located at aussie.net in Sydney

Connecting to IRC via the WWW

NOTE: The following section is not for the faint-of-heart. But if you are not afraid to push the envelope of your web browser's capabilities a bit, and are willing to experiment and learn something new--this information might be "fun."

A new development with IRC clients has been the implementation of the "chat" document type that allows one to connect to IRC via the world wide web. A few IRC clients, including IRCle, Global Chat, mIRC, and Pirch have this capability if the proper settings have been made in your web browser.

Essentially, you must go into the section that controls how your browser handles non-standard document types. In Netscape this is found under Options, General Preferences, Helpers and in Internet Explorer it is located under View, Options, Viewers. Other browsers will have something similar.

You will want to add a new file type with the extension "chat" and then designate your IRC program as the application that "views" it. In the case of Global Chat, this is configured when you install the program. For mIRC, you must use the "MLINK32.EXE" application (located in the same directory as MIRC32.EXE). For Pirch, simply use the PIRCH.EXE file you normally use to launch the application.

If things are setup properly, clicking on any of the .chat icons for the servers above will launch your IRC client, connect you to the given server, and then place you in the #osho channel. This is admittedly just a "toy" in the sense that once you are familiar with IRC, it's a fairly simple matter to connect to the right server without going through the Web at all. But, it is likely that more Web pages will have .chat links on them, so once you're set up for this, you can connect to IRC channels through them.