IRC

March 30th, 2008 | by Sean | 
00:04 <@Bender> nowadays parents wouldn't even let their kids onto IRC at age 13
00:04 <@Bender> but back in your day, they didn't even know about it

This got me thinking about what might have happened had I not been active on IRC in my early teens.

From approximately 1996 (age 13) to 2001, I was active on DALnet, SorceryNet, and marginally, EsperNet (as well as several smaller networks).  (you may remember me — I went by ‘magician’ then, often in #StarTrek on DALnet).

00:05 <@eri> had I not got on IRC, i would likely not be a software engineer now

IRC introduced me to a community that completely reformed my way of thinking about computers. As a result, I got into Linux, FreeBSD, and NetBSD. I got into compiling and installing open source packages on my own (including really early and hairy releases of KDE). I still remember (albeit a bit foggily) when I made the precipitous decision to completely erase Windows 95 from my PC in favor of Slackware Linux (kernel 2.0.29!). The community I found shaped who I became; I am avid Unix geek, an IT generalist, and a hacker (see the proper definition as it relates to software development).

I’m glad my parents let me onto IRC (most of the time).

  1. One Response to “IRC”

  2. By Scott Rippee on Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

    I feel the same way about my early start with computers, but replace the IRC with local BBS. The problem now days is all of the dangers out there in the (for most parents) big black mystery of the internet. The answer may be for parents to educate themselves on the technologies their children are using and to find a balance between control and letting little hacker minds explore. :)

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