Archiveteam:IRC

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is an internet protocol that allows multiple users to connect to a server and chat. Each IRC "server" can be connected to by a person, then someone joins a "channel" with the particular subject they are interested in.

The ArchiveTeam uses IRC as its one-stop shop for coordinating official and unofficial AT projects.

How do I chat on IRC?

You will need a IRC client, or you can use a web interface.

EFNet, the network that Archive Team uses, provides a web interface called Webchat. Enter a nickname (such as your first name, your pet's name, or a cool pseudonym of your choice) and then the channel's name, ie #archiveteam.

Please learn IRC netiquette. Do not barge into an IRC channel demanding help or disparage installation instructions. Archive Team is not a professional support team.

Do I have to use IRC?

We prefer IRC because there is no central point of failure, but see the question about social media on Frequently Asked Questions.

Why does IRC need chat logs?

Unlike a bulletin board or SMS, IRC is a transient medium of communication. As a result, if you aren't there to receive the message, you will never receive it at all.

If you check the chat logs, your question may already be answered. Unfortunately, some channels are not logged. Don't worry if you accidentally interrupt someone's conversation or repeat a question.

See the section IRC Logs.

I asked a question and waited but it scrolled off the window and was ignored.

Don't get discouraged and ask again. Topics get intermixed and timezones break up normal conversations. Be persistent but friendly.

How do I get someone's attention in a public channel?

Some chat clients will alert the user if you say their nickname.

Some clients support nickname auto-completion. Start typing the first few letters of their nickname and press tab.

Why won't anyone respond?

If no one answers, please be patient. We're volunteers so we can't always respond immediately. We eat, drink, sleep, and archive just like you!

Sometimes it may be the bystander effect. Try an icebreaker to get the conversation going.

I can't wait; I need immediate attention. Who's in charge?

See Who We Are.

ArchiveTeam on IRC

Below is a list of ArchiveTeam's general-purpose IRC channels. Project-specific channels can be found in the Projects' list. All the channels are on the EFNet network.

(Back then we had a separate list of project-specific IRC channels, under the general channels. For historical interest, you can find them on the IRC/Old page.)

Channel name	Channel hashtag	Channel description
Archive Team	#archiveteam	The main ArchiveTeam channel, mainly used for news, announcement and early project planning.
-bs	#archiveteam-bs	Off-topic discussion for things not directly related to ArchiveTeam and its projects.
-twitter	#archiveteam-twitter	We have a twitter bot and it owns you. All tweets by us, to us, or about us used to be displayed here by swebb bot, until twitter killed API v1.
Warrior	#warrior	Channel for the discussion and development of the ArchiveTeam Warrior
ArchiveBot	#archivebot	Channel for controlling ArchiveBot. Discussions about ArchiveBot development also take place here.
ArchiveBot-bs	#archivebot-bs	Off-topic discussion for things not directly related to ArchiveBot.

IRC Logs

You can log the channels where you are using your client, generally. But if you want a 24/7 bot logging your channel, you can use a script like this (change the server and channel variables).

Scumola/swebb is also hosting chatlogs of some channels at http://badcheese.com/~steve/atlogs/. Though only logs from the last ten days are listed, older chatlogs can still be accessed by changing the URL.

If the one above seems to be out of order, try chfoo's one: http://archive.fart.website/bin/irclogger_logs.

Unofficial ArchiveTeam QDB (Offline)

ArchiveTeamsters are encouraged to visit and contribute to the unofficial ArchiveTeam quote database.