[color=#000000:post_uid0]I was chatting with a couple of forumgoers today and I had a thought: it might be fun to have an IRC chat for 5MVers sometime. Is that something you guys would be interested in trying? If so, let's see if we can agree on a time for one.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Um...what is IRC?[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Internet relay chat. You use a program such as mIRC, Trillian, pIRCh, or IRCle (for Macs) to connect to a server such as irc.kdfs.net or irc.undernet.com to give an example. Then you join a chat room channel on that network. something like #startrek. It's much like IM'ing, only with a group of people.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]If we had one, I'd have to re-dl IRC. I haven't bothered since my computer crashed.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Yay for IRC.

Gatac[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]The IM client Trillian has IRC, along with ICQ, AIM, MSN, and Yahoo. It's the only instant messenger I use now, and it's easy to use.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]And it's simple enough that it's possible to coach someone else to use it with no knowledge of how it works.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]I'd very much enjoy that... It's be great to chat with the whole gang together. But, I've got no idea if I'd actually be able to attend or not. Most of the week I'm busybusybusy at university, where the IRC doesn't seem to work properly and I'm limited in time. And weekends, friday evenings an Saturday days are out - Shomer Shabbos!

So, I'm all in favor, and I'll be there if I can, but chances are I can't.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0][quote:post_uid0]Most of the week I'm busybusybusy at university, where the IRC doesn't seem to work properly and I'm limited in time.[/quote:post_uid0]

Plus you're in an inconvenient time zone compared to North America. What are you, GMT +3? 4?[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Only +2, and I'm pretty close. :eyeroll:

Now here's a challenge. Try finding a time on which everybody here could join. That's people from North America, Europe [i:post_uid0]and[/i:post_uid0] Asia.

I'm not sure that's even possible. :([/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]The solution to that is simple. Rather than choosing a specific time, set aside a day and have people drop by as they are able. You may not get everyone at once but at least nobody would be completely excluded due to being in a whacky time zone.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]That's not a bad idea. Once we pick a day, we could each post the hours we'd be able to come, so no one would have to wait around all day wondering when people would show up.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]That'd definitely be cool.

Indeed, Sa'ar, GMT+2, and the only reason I didn't mention that as another reason for not being able to come is because I know so many of us aren't in convenient time zones to begin with. :)[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Ahem...excuse me, cat, but shouldn't that be GMT+1? That's my timezone, and last time I checked, I was a bit further to the East than you :)

Gatac[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]I didn't say [i:post_uid0]I[/i:post_uid0] was in GMT+2. ;)[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Well, I'll certainly download it and give it a twirl.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0][quote:post_uid0]Ahem...excuse me, cat, but shouldn't that be GMT+1? That's my timezone, and last time I checked, I was a bit further to the East than you

Magdeburg, Germany[/quote:post_uid0]

Hey, that's a familiar name...didn't Magdeburg get sacked, razed and wiped off the map during the Thirty Year's War?

The only reason I know that is that it was mentioned in that alternate history novel I was telling you about, Cat, the one where the Dutch fleet gets turned to kindling.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Yeah that's right. Just keep rubbing it in.[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]Also, rumor has it that Magdeburg was originally going to be the city split in four sectors following WW2, but then the Western Allies pushed farther east and were able to shift the deal to Berlin.

Maybe it's our city-wide inferiority complex playing up.

In any event, yeah, Magdeburg was generally bent over the knee and spanked thoroughly during the Thirty Year's War. The fortifications that remain even today are worth a visit, I must say. Compare that to your usual planned, soulless American big city.

Considering IRC, I said it once, I'll say it again - yes, please. My daily schedule is far out of whack, anyway.

Gatac

(Of course, I was merely joking about American cities. They're not really that planned. :) )[/color:post_uid0]

[color=#000000:post_uid0]What North American cities lack in cool old relics, they make up for in parking spots and wide roads. :D[/color:post_uid0]