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This personal faq answers many of the questions that people ask me day after day. If you're looking for something specific, remember that you can type Control+F in your browser to search for a word.

Intro

Question: I heard that you created IRC?
Answer: Sorry, not me! IRC was created by Jarkko Oikarinen in 1988.

IRC is the oldest multi-user chat system on the internet, and as a protocol it's older than the World Wide Web.

IRC has continued to improve since Jarkko first created it, and is still developed by a large and dynamic group of volunteers who give their time, knowledge, and resources to the internet community.

The many public IRC networks that allow millions of people to communicate freely through IRC are owned and administered by thousands of independent individuals and organizations around the world as a public service to the internet community.

Many of the people who contributed to the development of the internet believed in a spirit of co-operation and sharing of knowledge, and saw the internet as a way of allowing people to communicate freely.

IRC has hopefully continued to flourish in that same spirit.

Question: So what did you create?
Answer: I created mIRC, the IRC client.

IRC needs two separate parts to work, one is the server, and the other is the client. The client is the software that you run on your computer in order to connect to an IRC server, join channels, and talk to people. The server is the part that, in the background, running on another computer on the internet, connects all IRC clients together.

There are many IRC clients, and many IRC servers, some are more popular than others.

Question: So mIRC isn't the same as IRC?
Answer: That's correct, it isn't. mIRC is just a popular IRC client.

Question: When was the first version of mIRC released?
Answer: I started working on mIRC in late 1994, and released the first public version on the 28th of February, 1995.

Question: How many people use mIRC?
Answer: The number appears to be in the millions. There are around 50,000 downloads of mIRC per day through the mIRC download page. The mIRC mailing list has around a million subscribers.

Question: Did you ever imagine that mIRC would become this popular?
Answer: No, I didn't. I wrote mIRC for fun, as a challenge. I didn't expect or plan for it to become popular, or to work on it for this long.

Question: Do you work on mIRC by yourself?
Answer: Yes, and no.

I work on mIRC from my home, and I am the only software developer, however many hundreds, if not thousands, of volunteers have helped me out over the years.

Most noted is the venerable Tjerk Vonck, who created the first #mIRC channel, the mIRC website, and much more.

The mIRC beta team, the ops on #mIRC and other channels who help users with mIRC issues, the Discussion Forums moderators, the website mirror and download providers, the language translators, and thousands of other people, have also been invaluable.

It's unlikely that mIRC would have developed into what it is today without the input and help of many people.

Question: How do you pronounce mIRC?
Answer: I pronounce each letter, m-I-R-C. However, it's fine to pronounce it as 'mirk'. Often during a conversation I'll switch between both pronunciations, depending on how quickly I want to get my point across!

Question: What does the 'm' in mIRC stand for?
Answer: It quite possibly stands for 'moo', or perhaps even MU.

Question: Who is Arnie?
Answer: Arnie is the mIRC mascot. Many believe that he's also the real brain behind mIRC. I can verify that he often leaves his paw prints all over the source code. You can find a picture of him here.

General

Question: Do you use IRC yourself?
Answer: Only occasionally. I spend much of my time working on mIRC, so usually when I take a break I like to do something else.

Question: What were you doing before mIRC?
Answer: I was in university studying for a Masters degree in Cognitive Science. I had just started work on my thesis when... I decided to write a small IRC client. People liked it. I found myself working more on the IRC client than the thesis. The thesis was never completed. mIRC became popular.

Question: What was your initial motivation for creating mIRC?
Answer: The first IRC client written for Windows, WinIRC, was missing support for some basic IRC client features. So initially, necessity was the motivation. Later, it was challenge that kept me working on it, and the enjoyment of knowing that people appreciated it.

Question: Why does mIRC have so many features?
Answer: Well, IRC users have a wide variety of needs and interests. Of the many feature requests I've received over the years, only a small handful have actually made it into mIRC. So what you see in mIRC today is, in my view, a minimal implementation.

Question: Will you be releasing the mIRC source code under CopyLeft/GPL at some point?
Answer: I might, however mIRC is the way I make a living. It only happened by chance, and I've always expected to move on at some point, but it's still hard to give that up.

Another issue is that I've worked on mIRC for many years according to a set of personal beliefs that I know would be inappropriate or inapplicable to others if I release the source code. In an environment that's as commercial as Windows, that's difficult to accept.

Question: How do you feel about the fact that some people use mIRC to distribute copyright/illegal material? or to harm others?
Answer: There is a common misconception that I'm able to prevent people from doing these things. That's not the case. I don't have or host any IRC networks, servers, or channels.

mIRC is only a client-side software that allows you to connect to public IRC networks around the world, in the same way that Internet Explorer allows you to connect to public websites around the world.

I'm not happy with the fact that some people use mIRC in a negative way, however mIRC is used by many people, there will always be a some people who use it in ways with which I don't agree.

Question: Why does mIRC have file-sharing capabilities?
Answer: IRC is about communication. Both chat and file-sharing are a normal part of communication, and always have been. IRC has been around since 1988, long before the mass file-sharing systems that we see today came into existence.

Although mIRC has a file-server, it is simple and crude, and was designed years ago for basic personal use, to allow individuals to share files with friends, family, and colleagues, and is nothing like the sophisticated and dedicated file-sharing systems in existence today, which are specifically designed to facilitate the sharing of files on a mass scale.

Help

Question: Can you help me get started with mIRC?
Answer: Due to the number of people that use mIRC it's not possible for me to help everyone individually. Before emailing me:

Please see the first few sections of the mIRC help file and the Help section on the mIRC website.

If you really get stuck you can email me but please note that it often takes anything from a few days to a few weeks to reply.

Question: I'm trying to write a script for mIRC, can you help me?
Answer: Sorry, I can't. Scripting is the same as programming, and takes much time and work.

If you're new to writing scripts, and don't have programming experience, the best way to get started is to try out some of the examples in the mIRC help file, or a tutorial on one of the scripting sites listed in the Community section of the mIRC website.

Registration

Question: How can I register my copy of mIRC?
Answer: mIRC can be registered through the How to Register page on the mIRC website. There are no other ways to register at this time.

Question: Why does mIRC need to be registered?
Answer: mIRC is shareware, and has been since 1996. Shareware is a way of distributing software that allows people to try out the software first to see if they like it before paying for it.

Question: I have lost my mIRC registration email, can you resend it?
Answer: You can have your mIRC registration emailed to you again by filling in the Lost Registration form. An mIRC registration lasts forever, and works with new versions of mIRC. Please keep a safe copy of it.

Question: I registered some time ago and haven't received my registration yet. Help!
Answer: Registration emails are normally sent within 24 hours of completing your online payment. Most often, the reason for not receiving a registration email is that either you entered an invalid email address when you registered, or your email software thought the mIRC registration email was spam. Please check your email software spam folder and settings. You can use the Lost Registration form to request it again.

Email

Question: How can I reach you?
Answer: I can be reached at khaled@mirc.com. Read the next question though.

Question: Why haven't you replied to my email?
Answer: If the answer to your question can be found somewhere on this page, I will usually assume that a reply is not necessary.

I receive many emails, and although I try to read them all, and I like hearing about how mIRC or IRC has a played a part in someone's life, or about how it's being used, it just isn't possible for me to reply to every email.

Question: I received a spam email from you or an email with a trojan/virus attached, please stop emailing me.
Answer: My system has no trojans or viruses of any kind, and I do not send emails to people I don't know.

If you have received an email which appears to be coming from my address, it is due to a spam/trojan/virus using a fake "from" email header in the email.

I myself receive several thousand spams/trojans/viruses per day (and upwards of twenty thousand per day during a virus outbreak), mainly due to my email address being wide-spread on the internet. There is little I can do about it other than to try to filter them out.

Research

Question: I'm doing some research on IRC, do you know of any studies, papers, etc. on the subject?
Answer: The irchelp.org website has a list of references in the communication research section.

Question: I'm trying to write my own IRC client, can you help me?
Answer: I'm sorry, I can't. You can find links to technical information in the Help section on the mIRC website.

Interview

Question: I'd like to interview you for a website, magazine, online event, etc.
Answer: Sorry, I appreciate the interest, but I'm not a great fan of interviews.

Question: I have a list of questions I'd like you to answer for a project, website, magazine, interview, etc.
Answer: It's hard for me to find the time to reply to lists of questions, sorry. If I find some of your questions interesting, I may add them to this faq in future though.

Business

Question: I have a business-related proposal, would you be interested in looking at it?
Answer: Thanks for the interest but mIRC isn't a business venture for me. I have no interest in reselling, merchandising, advertising, marketing, promoting, partnering, developing related software, distributing commercial piggy-back software, etc., sorry.

Technical

Question: What type of computer do you use?
Answer: I use a Pentium 3.2Ghz system, 1Gig memory, NEC 1980sx LCD, Radeon X800 Pro, an ADSL connection, and Windows XP Pro.

Question: In which language is mIRC written?
Answer: mIRC is written in a mixture of C/C++, in pure win32 code, and compiled under Visual Studio .Net Pro. mIRC was originally developed under Borland C++ v5.02 however.

I used Borland C/C++ v5.02 because it allowed parallel development of 16/32bit code from the same code-base. This isn't important anymore because the 16bit mIRC is no longer being developed.

Question: Are some of your controls custom coded?
Answer: Yes, the Toolbar and tooltips, the Tabbed dialogs, the Tree List in the Options dialog, the Switchbar, the Text Display in windows, and one or two other controls, are all custom coded.

The reason for custom coding these controls is that they formed an integral part of the interface, and I wanted to make sure that they worked the same way under all versions of Windows, including Windows 3.1 for the 16bit mIRC. I am slowly working on replacing my own custom controls with standard controls, where possible.

Question: How did you write the scripting language?
Answer: I had no experience with writing compilers or parsers when I first started working on mIRC. The scripting language grew organically, it wasn't designed. Users provided much input and over time the language became relatively organized and stable, though it still has some quirks. I would say that the language resembles C more than anything else.

Question: How large is the source code for mIRC?
Answer: The source code, as of the current version, is spread across 228 files, is around 140,000 lines of code, and is 4.5Mb in size.

Question: Can I have the source code to mIRC? I'd like to learn from it/port it to another operating system.
Answer: Sorry, the source code isn't available for public or personal use at this time.

Servers

Question: I've been banned/klined/glined from an IRC server, can you unban me?
Answer: No, I'm afraid not, I don't have anything to do with IRC networks or servers. You can find out more about this issue in the IRC Faq.

Sometimes this can happen if someone who uses the same internet provider as you has caused trouble on IRC in the past. Unfortunately, because of the way the internet works, servers can't ban one specific person, they can only ban their address, and this affects all the other users who use the same internet provider as them. The ban is usually in place for a short period of time.

You can try connecting to a different IRC server on the same IRC network and you will be able to see the same people and the same channels, or try emailing the administrators of the IRC network to ask for help.

Question: I'm having trouble connecting to a server, can you help me?
Answer: There are several situations where this can happen.

If you see the message 'Unable to resolve local host', you should enable the 'Server lookup' method in the 'Local Info' section of the Connect dialog in mIRC.

If you see the message 'Unable to resolve IRC server', it may be that your internet provider's DNS isn't working (which happens to all ISPs occasionally, and is temporary and is fixed by them after a while), or it may be that the address you're trying to connect to isn't working, or no longer exists.

If you see the message 'Can't assign requested address', this means that the IRC server that you are trying to connect to is not working, your only option is to try a different IRC server on the same network.

If an IRC server doesn't let you connect then this could be because it's full and can't handle anymore connections, or because you're too far away from it geographically, or if it has a specific policy regarding connections from your internet provider. You should simply try a different IRC server until you find one that allows you to connect.

Question: I've set up a new IRC network/server, can you add it to the default mIRC servers list?
Answer: You can email your list of servers (must be in the servers.ini format) to servers@mirc.com. It takes much work to maintain the servers list, not all networks/servers can be included.

Router/LAN/ICS/Proxy/Network

Question: I have a router/LAN/ICS/proxy/network configuration and I'm having trouble getting mIRC to work through it, can you help me?
Answer: I have no personal experience with these configurations, however you can find answers/help in the connection issues section on the Discussion Forums.

Identd

Question: When I try to connect to a server, it tells me that I need to have identd enabled, what does that mean?
Answer: Identd is a method of authentication, and is required by many IRC networks.

To make sure identd is enabled in mIRC, go to the Identd section in the mIRC Connect dialog.

If identd is enabled, and you still can't connect, you are most likely trying to connect through a network or firewall that isn't configured to allow identd connections. You would need to configure your system to allow identd connections.

Firewalls

Question: I need to configure mIRC to connect through a firewall, can you help me?
Answer: There are several types of firewall.

The first type is a personal firewall that you run on your own computer, such as ZoneAlarm or Sygate Personal Firewall. You should make sure that your firewall is configured to allow mIRC to connect to the internet.

The second type is a socks4/5 or http proxy firewall that requires a username, password, etc. You would need to enter the correct information in the firewall section in mIRC. If you don't know this information, or if it still doesn't work after you enter the information, you would need to contact the administrators of the firewall for help. It may be that the firewall doesn't allow IRC connections, or that mIRC isn't compatible with the firewall.

Channels

Question: I've been banned/kicked from a channel, can you help me get back on?
Answer: No, I'm afraid not, I have nothing to do with channels. You can find out more about this issue in the IRC Faq.

Sometimes this can happen if someone who uses the same internet provider as you has caused trouble on IRC in the past. Unfortunately, because of the way the internet works, channels can't ban one specific person, they can only ban their address, and this affects all the other users who use the same internet provider as them. The ban is usually in place for a short period of time.

You would need to either ask the ops on that channel to let you back on, or you would need to wait until the ban is removed after some time.

Question: When I try to join a channel, I see a message that the channel needs a key, or that it's invite only, or that I need to use a registered nickname, what does that mean?
Answer: A Channel is owned and maintained by the person who created it. Sometimes, the owner may choose to make their channel avalaible only to certain people, such as family, or friends, or may limit it in other ways.

If a channel needs a key or is invite only, that usually means that it's a private channel, so you can't join it.

If a channel tells you that you need to use a registered nickname, you will need to register your nickname on that IRC network before you can join the channel. Each IRC network has it's own method for registering nicknames, so you would need to ask for help on that network to find out how. Try joining channel #mIRC or #irchelp.

Question: I've created a new channel on IRC, can you add it to the list of default channels in the mIRC channels folder?
Answer: Sorry, I only add channels that I personally select.

Viruses/Trojans

Question: I downloaded and installed mIRC from the official mIRC website, however my anti-virus software is telling me that the installed files have a virus/trojan in them.
Answer: All mIRC install files on the official mIRC website and mirrors are checked for viruses/trojans before being made available to users for download, so it is not possible to get a virus/trojan from them.

There are two possibilities:

• The anti-virus software you are using has made a mistake, and thinks that the files have a virus/trojan when they don't; this is called a false-positive, and is quite common. It usually happens after an anti-virus company updates it's virus definition files without checking them properly. You should email the anti-virus company to report the problem.
• You already had a virus/trojan on your computer, which then infected the mIRC files after you installed mIRC on your computer. You should scan your entire computer to be safe.

Question: Can I have an email/web account at mirc.com?
Answer: No, sorry.