Friends,
I want to remind you that since 2008 I have opened my own Internet Relay Chat channel. At the time I wrote:
For those of you familiar with the concept here is the info:
server: irc.maddshark.net
channel: The_Vineyard
full URL: irc://maddshark.net/The_VineyardFor those of you who are no familiar with IRC, this is a virtual place were people can chat (via keyboard) with each other very informally and, unlike a forum, where no record is kept of the chats (at least not by default, this can be done, of course). To join such a chat you need a little piece of software called an “IRC client”. If you use GNU/Linux (which you should), the best known one is Xchat. If you are still using Windows or Mac (why?!) you can install an extension to Firefox (you are *not* using Internet Exploder, right?!) called ChatZilla which you can find here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/16. Just click on “download”, then accept the installation, then restart Firefox, then go to “tools” and then click on “ChatZilla”.
You can get all the info on how to use ChatZilla here: http://chatzilla.hacksrus.com/
Another option is to use the excellent mibbit website: just click on “start chatting now”, then choose the “Maddshark webirc” from the IRC drop down menu, then enter any Nick (nickname) you want, then enter the channel #The_Vineyard and press “go” and that’s it!
IRC channels is what geeks like myself use to communicate with each other (-: we live fora for the noobs :-). If you want to exchange news, or chat with each other, please use this channel. You can also easily create a private room to talk one on one. Finally, it is far less likely that the bad guys will record your posts then on a regular forum.
I have no idea whether I will open a forum at a later date or not, but probably not. I like the comments section as it is, and I will get much faster moderation as soon as the “new new blog” will be up (it is being rebuilt from the ground up right now).
The big advantage of the IRC is that I don’t have to moderate it (though I can if I want). Please be nice to everybody though, because the friends who are hosting this channel (HAL9000 and jaguar) will kick or ban you if you misbehave.
So please try it out, it is open for the entire Saker community!
Now I got to hit the road again. See later folks!
Kind regards and cheers,
The Saker
Um…I check your site during the day, when I am at work.
I am pretty sure other readers do the same. Because I am using a work computer, I am limited to what I can download or um…put on the laptop.
sigh.
IRC sounds wonderful, but I have windows & internet explorer. Everything else you said is completely over my head, but if I understand you correctly, not accessible on what I have, anyway.
—Penelope
You should provide a link for it on the side or top or somewhere, as sooner or later this post will be buried.
@Erika
There a lots of online java clients, but not worth the risk of upsetting your boss :)
Erika, it was partly to cover the time he’d o; be here to let our comments through moderation. It was all gossip and cross-talk, not sensible serious stuff like here.
Thanks Saker, that was great.
IRC is one of the best and cheapest ways of communicating with people all over the world: in real time !
I wasn’t aware this was still around. I thought it died with the advent of facebook and twitter. Because those are the only things our youngsters seem to know anything about, those and stuff like: MySpace, Flicker, Pinterest, Tumblr and lord knows what else…
Jeez Saker… we’re showing our age here, aren’t we? (from one geek to another ;-) )
PS; I’ll be checking this IRC Vineyard channel, for sure. Thanks for the heads up! :D
-TL2Q
Or instead of doing all that, IF you had got Opera browser you could just click the link and have it open in another window and be in the chat channel..
Opera is not only great for stopping malecious sites from installing stuff, it also has a lot of functionality that other browsers dont. You have to be careful with chat clients, especially ones that allow scripting since they allow you to control you computer with those script facility and there have been some nasty trojans used by hackers.
I’m giving the IRC a go-on a day when its claimed by MSM of the west Rus sends 32 tanks plus etc through(1 tank on a video), but OSCE says 1 DPR tank and howitzer moving around, Tymoshenko demands martial law,among others Ella Polyakova from VP’s human rights advisory council claims it is an invasion(right or wrong if so what happens next?), big convoys Ukr tanks go to near Mariupol, west is indignant Nato says has satellite proof-but maybe Rus is? sending convoy with protection for humanitarian reasons to protect Luhansk power station, further attacks as Ukr has said only a military solution is now possible and Minsk has been thus effectively”declared’ dead by both sides …..but can Rus provoke Ukr to cry wolf too? What will “nato spearhead force we can rapidly react whenever we even think there is a provocation from Rus” do?
you can’t use TOR so your privacy is out the window. Rest assured your pals at the NSA are monitoring every keystroke.
Uhm … the only advantage Linux has in terms of security over modern versions of Windows is that it is used by less people, so it’s not worth while attacking.
If you think »open source« is better then the incredible Heartbleed bug in early 2014 has probably failed to impress you.
An up-to-date version of IE 11 on Windows 7/8/8.1 in my opinion is the best choice on Windows as IE runs at an extra low privilege level.
Be sure to disable Flash by default (via the add-on manager) because it is an important attack vector. Only allow it on a per-site basis.
See: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExtStats{D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000}iexploreAllowedDomains
Probably requires too much computer literacy for some users, but well …
By the way, Microsoft has allowed Russian authorities to inspect their source code since 2003.
In July, Russia has demanded the same from Apple and SAP if they intend to continue to be relevant:
http://minsvyaz.ru/ru/news/index.php?id_4=44747
http://heise.de/-2280695
… or click on my name for a Google search
Yes, Saker, I’m in the same boat as Erika and I really hope that this format…or whatever you call it…won’t change. I really love this place, or the new blog, but don’t see myself getting more advanced in computer technology…just to share thoughts with other people …its so great ! Thanks again.
Ann
Hello,
I know you are involved with Russia Insider. I have been trying to look at it on the net and I get an error message. Do you know anything about this message,
Error, VPDOException: SQLSTATE[08004] [1040] Too many connections in lock_may_be_available() (line 167 of /var/www/admin/www/russia-insider.com/includes/lock.inc).
Thought you might know what is going on there.
Regards,
Stan K’