For over a decade we have chatted happily in IRC (Internet Relay Chat) using various programs like Icechat, mIRC, etc. But in the last couple of years Discord has become a huge internet presence. Many new chatters hadn't even used IRC before, but were already Discord users. So we maintain 2 chat channels, one in IRC and one in Discord. Use whichever you prefer, it's a matter of personal choice. 
Discord
If you're a phone user, you can download the Discord app from your phone's app store.I access Discord from my Windows laptop, using Firefox, I've also tried it in Chrome, both run just fine. (I have to say that Firefox seems to lag after a few hours, e.g. I type a sentence but only half the words appear... then after a delay, the sentence completes. When this becomes too annoying, I just close Firefox, then restart.)
link to AW chat Discord channel — if you're visiting for the first time, you'll be invited to sign up to Discord, it's not difficult.
link to the absolutewrite-chat channel — for use after you've signed up, this link takes you right into AW chat.
link to the Sisyphus channel — again for use after you've signed up.
IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
Our long-time IRC host Starchat shut down in July 2019, so we set up an #absolutewrite channel on Espernet - irc.esper.netHere are how-to-get-there instructions for Mibbit (via your browser), IceChat and Chatzilla users (both these programs need to be downloaded and installed and set up, so they're a bit harder than Mibbit).
Mibbit is here: http://mibbit.com/chat — you don't need to download anything, you access it via your browser.The sign-in screen will look something like:
I selected the yellow Server link and typed irc.esper.net into the Server: field.
I typed my nickname into the Nick: field, and then typed #absolutewrite into the Channel: field.
(I read somewhere that you should be able to enter nick password together in the Nick: field, but that's never worked for me.)Then I selected the Connect button, which took me into the #absolutewrite chat channel on irc.esper.net
After I sign in I always have to enter: /ns id mypassword to sign in as me, because I already registered my nickname and have a password. If you don't have a nickname/password yet, then read on.
Connecting to the irc.esper.net server took me into a console window, from which you can enter commands, etc.
First thing to do here is register your nick, you will be prompted to do this with:
/MSG NickServ REGISTER mypassword myemail@mail.com
(replacing mypassword with your chosen password and myemail@mail.com with your email address)
You'll receive an email! Which contains a line like,
/msg NickServ VERIFY REGISTER yournick randomletters
(in my email this was /msg NickServ VERIFY REGISTER Derek rkcunswwlftx)
Copy/paste this line into the console window, and hit enter.
This should complete the registration, no one else can use your nick now, and only you know your password.
And that's it. Woot.
IceChat users: Icechat can be downloaded from here if you haven't already installed it. Although, if you're not already a user, you might consider trying Discord first instead.In the left-hand Favorite Servers column, select the Add button
The Server Editor panel will pop up, I typed in my nick and other stuff so it looks like:
Enter YOUR nick + other info into this panel. The important fields are Server and Nick
Remember to select the Save button!
Connecting to the irc.esper.net server took me into a console window, from which you can enter commands, etc.
First thing to do here is register your nick, you will be prompted to do this with:
/MSG NickServ REGISTER mypassword myemail@mail.com
(replacing mypassword with your chosen password and myemail@mail.com with your email address)
You'll receive an email! Which contains a line like,
/msg NickServ VERIFY REGISTER yournick randomletters
(in my email this was /msg NickServ VERIFY REGISTER Derek rkcunswwlftx)
Copy/paste this line into the console window, and hit enter.
This should complete the registration, no one else can use your nick, only you know the password.
Entering your password manually via /ns id yourpassword every time you sign in can be a bore, but do it this way if you like.
At this point, I right-clicked on irc.esper.net in the Favorite Servers column to the left, and selected Edit server.
I selected the AutoPerform tab and entered: /ns id mypassword (replace mypassword with YOUR password)
On the next line, add: /join #absolutewrite
(Espernet has loads of channels, use the /list command to find them. If you want to join any of them automatically just add a new /join #channel line into this window.)
...remember to tick the Enable Autoperform box, then select the Save button.
Oh, lastly, in the Favorite Server column to the left, right-click on irc.esper.net (or however you named the Espernet server when you edited the Server Editor panel) and select Connect on startup
Now every time you start IceChat, you should auto-connect to irc.esper.net and the /ns id mypassword command and the /join #absolutewrite commands should run automatically.
If you're using Chatzilla (which is kinda out of date and unsupported, but still works!) the commands to enter are:/server irc.esper.net
If this is your first time connecting to Espernet, follow the REGISTER and VERIFY REGISTER instructions (as detailed above) to secure your nick and password.
To join the #absolutewrite channel, enter:
/join #absolutewrite
Adding commands to execute automatically when Chatzilla runs:
Select menu Chatzilla > PreferencesIn Global Settings > General tab, add your nick and other details. This snapshot has my test/backup nick details just for example's sake:
Select the Apply button to save this info.
Select Startup tab
Scroll down to Locations panel
Select the Add button and enter irc://irc.esper.net
(If you already had an irc://irc.starchat.net entry here, from previous Chatzilla usage, you could have edited it to change the server... I added a new entry for irc://irc.esper.net and once I was sure it looked the way it should, I deleted the old irc://irc.starchat.net entry.)
Select the Apply button to save this info.
irc.esper.net should appear in the left column under Global settings.
Select irc.esper.net
Select the Lists tab, and in the Auto-perform panel, use the Add button to add
ns id mypassword
join #absolutewrite...where mypassword is YOUR password associated with your nick.
Select the Apply button to save this info.
Select the OK button.
The next time you run Chatzilla, you should automatically join the Espernet server, sign in, and join #absolutewrite
Facebook & Twitter news updates
AW's Facebook groupMedievalist's Twitter feed (@LisaSpangenberg)
Mac's Twitter feed (@absolutewrite)
Last updated by Derek the Friendly Drelb · dpaterson57 at gmail.com · July 2019