GOOD NEWS EVERYONE: WE NOW HAVE NIRC

     I setup an IRC server at gmod.nebtown.info, and synced it with SRCDS, so you'll be able to chat with players in game through IRC! We average 10-12 people in IRC at any time, so feel free to join to ask tech questions or matchmake for games.

 
    In-Game Example:
 

 
HOW DO CONNECT?????

  0.   *I'm too lazy to install anything!*: Click this button to open a Mibbit link (its an in-browser java ajax thing)  

   1.   Get an IRC client. There are dozens, written in Python, for Gentoo Linux. Theres gonna be over a hundred for Windows.

          Neb uses Chatzilla, a Firefox addon. The only config you should need to care about is setting your nickname.

          Linux users: Chatzilla, XChat, or Weechat (for *coughFormode* purists).

  2.   For most clients and Chatzilla, use   /server gmod.nebtown.info   to connect.

  3.   Now you're on the 'server', but you're not actually in a channel yet. Use   /join #Nebtown   to get in the main one.

          Enter any other channel and it'll create it, so feel free to chill there with your estranged friends or something. 

Common Channels:

Why have specific channels? It reduces the noise level in #Nebtown, which helps keep the text flowing at a readable pace, and avoids annoying people disinterested in certain subjects. If you're on a laptop, you don't want to hear people demanding TF2 combatants. If you're at school, #Music isn't too helpful. But idling in them is easy, and without #Gaming being fairly full, people won't bother asking in it and will just use #Nebtown to ensure they get the most coverage. So just set them all to your startup connections.

• #Nebtown (congregates Minecraft, Gmod, and general IRC talk. Avoid spamming or conducting lengthy conversations)
• #Music ("OMG you guys have to listen to this: youtube.com/sfsdfsdf" goes here. Attaching a genre and/or mood to links is nice)
• #Coding (Primarily python, java, lua, or E2 help/advice/showcasing, or other news of the genre)
• #Gaming (for organizing TF2 matches, L4D partners, MMO raids)
• (name pending, something for debates and/or long science discussions. Scenario I'm thinking:
  @Nebtown "omg guys check out these solar panels #Science www.link"
  @Science "Okay so they're 10x more efficient than anything else we know of including plants." <-- queue 10 minute argument over exact definition of plant. That way, people interested in Science (everyone) can read the backlogs of specifically this channel, and not have to wade through [GM]Russians and Link_a22's computer woes.

 Chatzilla'ers may also be interested in:

• a standalone application which is available to remove the need for Firefox to run all the time (since it eats memory).
• placing a button to launch Chatzilla into your Firefox Menu bar (right click the topmost bar -> Customize and drag chatzilla)
• autologging in on launch of chatzilla, by adding the following url to Preferences -> Global Settings -> Startup Tab -> Add an Autoconnect URL.  irc://gmod.nebtown.info/%23Nebtown (If you drag that link into your bookmarks bar, you can hotlink to NIRC :D)
• a dark skin: (download here, then Preferences -> Global Settings -> Appearance and place file:///C:/FilePath/darkkatzilla.css in one of the motif boxes)