Set up exclusively for genealogy, the IIGS™ Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is hosted by RootsWeb and is open 7 days a week, 24 hours per day so genealogists around the world can meet. Do not despair if there doesn't seem to be many people online, stay for a while, or try again later.
We welcome all who wish to host meetings or genealogy sessions, but we do ask that you check in first before setting up a meeting or genealogy session. Please contact our IRC Liaison for additional information:
Once you have the IRC software downloaded and installed on your system, direct your IRC client to:
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is a feature of the internet that allows real time discussions and allows people all over the world to participate in real-time conversations. You can also trade files, such as GEDCOM, surname lists, and graphics, with other users on the IRC server.
In order to take advantage of this real-time chat feature, you will have to obtain or download an IRC client software package. While there are many available, most of the channel operators on IIGS™-IRC use mIRC so we will be able to help best if you are using the same software.
Instruction, Help & FAQs on IRC
There are many excellent instruction and help pages on IRC - we at IIGS™-IRC have compiled a list of them on our Help Page. We have listed pages that will help you with mIRC, Ircle, MAC users, AOL clients, and more. We have also provided step-by-step instructions for setting up your software and connecting to the IIGS™ server.