Amazing nobody seems to have posted to the Newsgroup yesterday, are
they all scared of April Fool's Day or what??
Anyway I'll forego my highlights digest for another week as I have had a more pressing thing on my mind now I hope solved:-
Well All Right
Yes I know last week's chat or lack of it was a disaster and apologies
to all those who failed to connect with anybody
This is a complete and rather long acount of my successful search for a new room/access method. Because as far as I can tell the old method using the obviously defunct Internet Relay Chat server cjbnet is never going to be usable again. The problem is replacing it with an alternative to cater for the three types of chatter:-
1. Those who already have the mIRC client program(me) and appreciate/prefer its features
2. Those who are never going to be persuaded to get it and wish to continue using a simple browser access and don't worry when they get bumped!!
3. A few odd persons who are convinced that a MAC is the best thing since sliced bread
(Sorry anybody here so afflicted!!)
(Just what was the best thing before sliced bread I wonder any ideas???)
Anyway a number of us did succeed in chatting for a while on a "#gordonlightfootchat" channel using a different IRC server and also for a while several were able to chat in an impromptu chat room using AIM and/or AOL Instant Messenger.But this needs each person to be
individually invited in which is cumbersome at best and after I left once I found no amount of invites could get me back in so that's out.
The previous week we did try the Bravenet room as currently linked from Rik's site but not everyone could get in there (especially my dear wife which led her to get a very large disgrunt). Nor could I find anyone to tell me if it could be accessed via mIRC.
So what to try next??
I had previously tried googling but never found anything suitable that combined the required access both direct from a browser (simple URL entry) and using mIRC. So finally and in desperation I turned to the
trusty gent known as Jeeves at
http://www,ask.com
and asked him
"what is the url of a chat room in mirc"
I eventually ended up at the unlikely sounding
World's Worst Website : Chat Room at:-
http://www.worlds-worst-website.com/...hat/chat2.html
I realised it was April The First but pressed on and bingo.
Not only did it feature a working Java applet chat room (the applet
has to be downloaded first a very quick operation) was obviously
accessible from a browser URL but had lots of useful links including
a promising sounding pair of links under the applet which said:-
"For mIRC users, try either of the 2 links below. The top link will download a mIRC configuration file. This will automatically launch mIRC and configure it with the server, port and channel settings. The
second link is an IRC type URL (actually
irc://irc.dilexnet.net:6667/wwwchat)
which your Web Browser will pass to mIRC and again you will automatically be connected to the chat room.
then these two hyperlinks:-
The World's Worst Website chat room (download)
mIRC Direct Link"
I tried the direct link provided and was amazed to find myself in a chat room under mIRC without actually running mIRC from my
start-programs menu.However I was on that site's own chat room channel (wwwchat) so I tried typing /join #gordonlightfootchat and there I was in familiar surroundings. I then looked at AIM and caught both Jenney
who has mIRC and Valerie who I know wont use it and was able to get them to join me. At some point I found there was also another guest shown as "brut" (Brian) who I discovered was with admin at dilexnet
and proved extremely helpful between us we got Kimberley who I found online via AIM into the room despite her MAC.
So now we have a room accessible by all three types of chatters that
I listed above.Except for my wife's PC which for possibly the same reason that she was unable to get into the Bravenet room.I have now been able to configure her mIRC to link to the dilexnet server.
and have added a "new link" page on my web site at:-
(My existing tutorial on setting up mIRC is at:-
http://johnfowles.org.uk/LIGHTFOOT/c...tingupmIRC.htm )
the new link page is at:-
http://johnfowles.org.uk/LIGHTFOOT/chatroom/newlink.htm
So lets try this evening at either
1. browser entry:-
http://www.worlds-worst-website.com/...hat/chat2.html
when you get there just type in
"/join #gordonlightfootchat" and hit enter
or a direct link via dilexnet that Brian gave me
1A.
http://www.dilexnet.net/irc/webchat/...nlightfootchat
2.(the link to mirc under the applet)
which links to
irc://irc.dilexnet.net:6667/wwwchat
followed by the change of channel
(typing /join #gordonlightfootchat)
or 3. by adding the new link to your existing mIRC if you have it (as
per my tutorial linked above)
If this works out I intend to adapt the "worst site" page to fit in on
my own web site's Lightfoot section. But I need to experiment further
as I suspect that
http://www.irc://irc.dilexnet.net:66...nlightfootchat would
be a perfect replacement direct link to go straight to the correct
channel usuing mIRC from my page
Talking of channels I found a number of useful sites such as:-
http://www.newircusers.com/network.html
which revealed that:-
"You CANNOT talk to a user that is not on the same network as you. If
your friend is on the #newbies channel on EFnet, and you are on the
#newbies channel on DALnet, you cannot talk to him because he is on a
DIFFERENT network. Channels with the same names on the different
networks ARE NOT the same channels, even though they have the same
name. So, if you want to meet a friend on a particular channel, make
sure you are both on the same Network."
Which seems to make sense. Or does it??
So Ladies and gentlemen let's try this evening at 9 PM EST as usual
Fingers crossed!!!
------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot
[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited April 02, 2004).]
)
I'll keep trying. Later! 
to quote the B-stone!)
