Internet Relay Chat (IRC) pioneered online chat technology as we know it today. Created way back in 1988, IRC enabled real-time text communication between many users in group channels across a global network of servers. Over its evolution, IRC profoundly influenced online communities and culture while overcoming challenges. This article explores IRC‘s origins, growth, decline and lasting impact on how people communicate on the internet.
Overview of IRC History
Invented by student Jarkko Oikarinen to improve campus chat, IRC quickly spread externally as more Finnish universities connected servers. The open IRC protocol allowed diverse client apps and networks to proliferate throughout the 1990s commercial internet boom. However, IRC declined in the 2000s as people migrated to modern chat apps with multimedia options. Still, IRC‘s legacy pervades in chat tools used by hundreds of thousands daily.
The Birth of IRC
In 1988, electrical engineering student Jarkko Oikarinen administered his university‘s Unix servers at the University of Oulu in Finland. To upgrade the existing campus BBS chat, Oikarinen created "Internet Relay Chat" by August that year. He was inspired by Bitnet Relay Chat‘s channel model and other peer-to-peer messaging apps emerging on networks like UUCP.
Here‘s how Oikarinen described his vision in 1993 during the early IRC craze:
"The original idea was to create a way to communicate with my friends. It grew in some weird way to something else from this."
Oikarinen‘s IRC quickly took off not just locally but internationally. By November 1988, IRC had 40 servers globally across universities and tech teams eager to enable chat for their communities.
The Explosive Growth of IRC
The inflection point for IRC came during the Gulf War in 1991. When Iraq invaded Kuwait, IRC kept flowing with real-time reports while other media was censored. This brought IRC into mainstream attention. Meanwhile servers, networks channels and software clients proliferated.
Review the growth of some key IRC metrics in the table below:
| Year | IRC Networks | IRC Servers | Total Channels | Peak Concurrent Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 8 | 40 | 100 | 500 |
| 1993 | 100 | 250 | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| 2000 | 1,000 | 5,000 | 100,000 | 500,000 |
| 2009 | 1,500 | 7,500 | 250,000 | 500,000 |
As shown, IRC experienced surging exponential growth until 1993 when the formal RFC protocol was published. Through the dot-com era, IRC continued expanding to peak around 2000. But by 2009 use plateaued. Next we‘ll explore IRC‘s decline.
The Decline of IRC Emergence of Modern Chat
Despite technical advances expanding IRC functionality throughout the 1990s-2000s, usage started to declined around 2003. Over the following decade, IRC lost 60% of its user base. The primary culprit was modern internet chat apps like WhatsApp offering multimedia messaging, better interfaces and mobility.
However, IRC retains devotees to this day. As of 2023, approximately 230,000 users still connect at peak times across top networks like Freenode. Next we‘ll do a quick crash course in using IRC for those new to this old-school chat protocol.
A Beginner‘s Guide to IRC Chat
If you want to dive into IRC, first choose a desktop client app like HexChat (Windows & Linux) or Textual (MacOS), then pick an active network like Freenode. Networks comprise multiple IRC servers hosting channels focused on particular topics.
Here‘s a simple step-by-step process to start chatting:
- Install your chosen IRC client app
- Enter the IRC network name (e.g. Freenode)
- Pick a channel name related to your interests
- Create your IRC chat nickname (letters/numbers)
- Join the conversation in your channel!
IRC itself offers solely text-based messaging. You cannot make voice/video calls as on modern apps. However, IRC allows chatting anonymously in real-time group conversations as well as private 1-on-1 messages and file transfers.
The Enduring Legacy of IRC
While formal IRC usage has dropped over 60% since 2003, its influence continues through community ethics and technical DNA powering modern chat platforms. For instance, the open source IRC protocol inspired messaging apps like Internet Relay ChatX (IRCx).
Culturally, IRC pioneered pseudonymous group chatting helping people worldwide make connections around niche interests. And during global events with media censorship like 1991 Gulf War or 2011 Arab Spring protests, IRC enabled citizens to organize, document and spread truth.
Summarizing IRC‘s legacy, Finland-based developer Mika Ilvesmaki who joined IRC back in 1989 noted:
“Today, almost 30 years later, I still think IRC was the best messaging app ever. It paved the way to content-driven communication.”
So while newer tools offer shinier features, much of today‘s social internet traces its roots to IRC, the pioneering chat protocol cooked up by a Finnish student striving to help his campus community converse better.