IRC stands for "Internet Relay Chat". It was originally written by Jarkko Oikarinen in 1988. Since starting in Finland, it has been used in over 60 countries around the world. IRC is a multi-user chat system, where people meet on Channels (rooms, virtual places, usually with a certain topic of conversation) to talk in groups, or privately.  There is no restriction to the number of people that can participate in a given discussion, or the number of channels that can be formed on IRC.

IRC is a method of conversing with other internet users, in real time, using chat software, or a Java plug-in which operates in your current web browser. There are many different chat channels, or rooms, covering every subject imaginable, and a list of the most popular channels starts at CHAT ROOMS.

Rather than posting a message on a bulletin board, and reading other postings, you are able to post your message in a chat window, and watch others post their messages.