http://www.metronet.com/home/chat.html (PC Press Internet CD, 03/1996)
Feel like you're surfing the wild Internet all by
yourself? Here's where to find other people to talk to in real-time.
IRC
Internet Relay Chat, or IRC, is the huge boundless chat area of the Internet.
It's big, it's easy to get lost in, and you're likely to run into all sorts
of strange people on it, but you can also make friends and participate in
discussion groups on a variety of interests and topics.
Metronet doesn't run its own IRC server, but you can connect to any of
hundreds of different servers across the United States (or the World)
to get started.
For more info on getting started in IRC, check the following resources:
MOO
MOO stands for MUD, Object Oriented. A MUD is a multi-user game. MOOs
are usually social environments where groups of anywhere from 2 to 200
players hang out and chat with one another.
Metronet hosts its own MOO,
DreaMOO, which has a loosely futuristic theme and a lot of chatting
on IRC-style channels.
For more info on MOOs and MUDs, check out these resources:
-
Bob's MOOGate contains a list of most of the public MOOs on the
net today, and a brief description of them all.
- LambdaMOO,
the mother of them all.
- The MUD FAQ,
frequently asked questions about muds, and a good newbie guide to
getting started with them.
Disclaimer:
Chat areas can be like the Sirens of the Net... they can seduce you,
and cause you to waste enormous amounts of time. Chat carefully!
