IRC

Stands for "Internet Relay Chat." IRC makes it possible for people using the Internet to converse with each other in real time by typing messages back and forth. For IRC to work, there needs to be an IRC server. When you and others connect to the server, you can join a channel and talk with the other people on the channel. Usually, channels have a specific topic like "teenchat", "macusers", or "basketweaving". To connect to an IRC server, you'll need a software program like Ircle (Mac) or mIRC (Windows). Most IRC programs also let you transfer files with other users, which is cool, but has also led to a lot of software piracy.