IRC Channel

An IRC channel is available, in addition to the mailing list, to hold more real-time discussions, bounce ideas off of one another, and to chat between ourselves in a slightly more informal setting.

Channel Location

The channel is located on Freenode (irc.freenode.net) and is called #phpfig.

The Basics

Your nickname or nick is your name on IRC and you can change it by typing /nick MyNewNick. If you connect using the web interface below you may end up with a nickname like "fig_guest670", but you might prefer something like a pseudonym or your Twitter handle. For more information on nicknames, like how to register (reserve) yours, read this registration page on Freenode's website.

An IRC Client can make your IRC experience better. Wikipedia has an extensive list of standalone IRC applications. Two great free options are Colloquy for OSX and HexChat for Windows (and Linux). These programs allow you to save your nickname and settings, view old chat transcripts, and arguably provide an improved UI over the web interface. Of course you can always jump right in using our web interface.

If you are new to IRC be sure to read the IRC Etiquette section below.

IRC Etiquette

A few things to note if you are new to IRC or unfamiliar with #phpfig:

  • #phpfig is not a support channel. If you are looking for general PHP help please join ##php (and remember to read the channel topic for rules/instructions). You can also find help at the /r/PHPhelp sub-reddit on Reddit.
  • Many people stay connected to IRC even when they are not at their keyboard. If nobody responds to your question try staying put for a while and waiting for a reply.
  • Try to avoid: spam (walls of text), repeating yourself too often, pasting blocks of code or console output into the channel (try a Pastebin), unnecessarily offensive language, etc. If it might bother you then the same is probably true for other users as well.
  • It is sometimes considered rude to private message or PM someone without asking, especially if they don't know you or are not expecting the message. If you want to get a specific user's attention, typically using their name (e.g., Hey aladdin ...) will trigger a subtle notification in their IRC client.

Web Interface

A full-page web interface is also available (opens in a new tab).