Your ticket to IRC Austnet (The home of Gor On-line)
 
Getting Online
 
OK, you’ve seen the web-site, and now you’re ready to visit us at #Gorean_Panthergirls.
The fact that you are reading this web-site, means you already have the first two requirements:

                                    1/. a computer
                                    2/. an Internet connection

All you need now is a program to interface with the fascinating world of IRC Gor, and more specifically Austnet ( one of the many IRC Networks).

These programs ( or clients) are easily downloadable , and of the many, two stand out...... mIRC and pIRCh.

mIRC is a more widely used client, but it is the writer’s opinion ( for what it is worth) , that pIRCh offers a more user-friendly interface.

Simply click on the relevant pIRCh logo and you will be a download away from the IRC experience.

 
 Once the file is downloaded, you should now have a file called either  pirch16s.exe  or  pirch32s.exe.
 Click on the icon and your pIRCh set-up will begin.(You can specify which directory/drive...the default is c:\pirch16 ( or 32).

When installation is complete, you are ready to login to an IRC server ( don't forget to get on-line first!).

Click on the application icon in the directory ( a desktop short-cut might be useful here).

You should now have the pIRCh main screen, with icons across the top (see below).

 
 
Click on the Login button and a "profile", like the one below will appear
 

Fill the boxes out as above, using your own name ( not necessarily truthfully!), and email.( a Hotmail or similar will do)).

The nickname should be filled out thoughtfully, IRC is a large medium, but also a reasonably close-knit community. Gor IRC has very little time for " silly", crude or unsuitable nicknames!
Later there is a section on Gorean nicknames, it might help to look at that first before deciding your on-line identity.

The alternative nickname would usually be similar to the first , but with an added ^ or similar. This is incase there is already someone on-line with the same nick, or perhaps you will become disconnected from IRC and the server will still think you are there.   When you reconnect, you will find your nickname barred to you, and pIRCh will automatically choose the alternative ( you can change it back once on-line).
 

At this point it might not be a bad idea to read about who is who or what on IRC Gor, to avoid the inevitable removal from Gorean channels. Newcomers are welcome, but a little homework before you travel to Gor, would smooth your path.
 

IRC GOR
 

pIRCh comes with a drop-down list of servers. By clicking on the arrow, it will appear and you can choose which one to connect to ( This is usually a server nearest you).

You are now ready to present yourself to IRC....click the connect button and you are on your way !!!!!!

 
Connecting To IRC
 
 
 pIRCh Server screenshot
 
 
You should now see a screen similar to the one above.

The Command line is where you will be typing all your speech and IRC commands.
The first thing you need to do, is to get a list of the available channels on the server. This is accomplished simply by typing     /LIST    and then , as if by magic, a list of channels will (eventually) appear on the right -hand side of the screen .

 
Joining A Channel
 
 
Navigate your way down the list until you find a channel that interests you, and then, in the command line again, simply type      /JOIN <channel name>       This can also be achieved by double-left clicking the mouse while the cursor is on the channel of your choice.

Congratulations !  You have joined a channel and are now on the path to full addiction. You will lose your job, your petdog will leave home and your wife will howl....but I digress!

You should now see a screen like the one below:
 

 
Your nickname will appear along with the other channel users. Incidently , nicknames preceded by a @ are channel operators, with powers to eject  (kick) other users, who are causing a nuisance or for one reason or another are "undesirable".

 
Interacting In Channel
 
 
 Other users speech or actions appear in the main body of the screen, along with server messages and channel arrivals and departures.

To add your comments to the proceedings, simply type what you want to say in the command line , hit ENTER , and it will appear in this panel. In order to perform an action, ( ie sitting down, hugging  .......whatever ), you precede your text with    /ME     .

For example, if you type       /ME sits down      , after pressing  ENTER , it will appear on the screen as :
 

<yournick> sits down
 
In other words there is no need to type your nick, pIRCh does that for you!

Talking Privately

Typing directly into the command line , or using the   /ME  command will result in your output appearing in channel.
However if you wish to speak privately with another uset , precede your comments with    /MSG   , and only you and the person you are speaking to will see the conversation.

eg by typing       /msg Pal`o`mine  Hiya, aren't all the others wierd?       , your opinion will only be shared with Pal`o`mine, the rest of the channel blissfully ignorant of your remarks.
 
 

 You can either have pIRCh open a seperate window or you can have the dialogue appear in the main channel window, but only you and your partner able to see it. (This can be set up using the program preferences.....see  Help)

 
Over To You!
 
The above should be enough to get you started on the slippery slope to IRC addiction. Much is to be learned from experience, and from the pIRCh Help files.

Other users seem ever ready to help out a newbie ( that's you !), and there are channels specifically to provide help.

#Pirch is solely to help pIRCh users, whereas most servers have a help channel to answer questions on the use of the particular Network you are on.

 
IRC GOR...Who Are You?
 
 
The WWW has an abundance of websites dealing with Gor...the books, the customs, the Castes ( classes)..even the potted plants!  and it would be pedantic of me to repeat all that here. If you are serious about Gor, you would be well advised to learn all you can before you attempt to interact in a Gorean channel.

There are any number of "chancers" on-line, but also an equal number of very well-informed Goreans. If you intend to stay on IRC Gor,, a little "homework" would stand you in good stead.

However if you are impatient to get going, there are a few simple facts that will help smooth your path.

Firstly, who are you?  Basically, there are Freepersons and there are slaves. If you are slave at heart , you will KNOW, and if not, then you might as well start out as a Freeperson.

|On IRC Gor, Freepersons ALWAYS start their nickname with an uppercase letter, and slaves ALWAYS start their nick with lowercase.

Therefore 'zantia', for example would be a slave, but 'Zantia' would be a Freewoman and accorded all the courtesies that Gor expects.

Freewomen always run the risk of being kolared (collared) by another , stronger Freeperson, whereupon they lose the rights and priveledges befitting their status and use the slave variation of their nickname (lowercase), or in fact any name their new owner chooses for them!.

In addition, as they now become the property of their Mistress / Master, they will wear their owners kolar, and change their nick thus:

'zantia{J}'.....would signify that zantia is the slave and property of a Gorean whose mark is 'J'.
 

There is a definitive work on suitable Gorean names on the Lar`Tarvis Hall website.
 

Above all the Golden Rule in Gorean channels is either ask if you are not sure, or just stay quiet and learn.

There is an excellent piece written by Master Marcus_of_Ar which covers the whole subject in great depth and detail. This writer advises all "would-be" online Goreans to read this thoroughly.
 

A Beginner's Survival Guide to the World of Gor Online
 
Finally a word of WARNING....................
 
Gor is a harsh environment, but ultimately is for all to enjoy. Therefore everything that happens to you should be consensual. If something is happening to you that you don't feel comfortable with, speak with a channel op, and if he/ she can't control the situation, it may seem obvious, but for heaven's sake switch the damn computer off !
 
NOW...where were we?  (back to pIRCh)