IRC File Trading:
"Geek-centric way to get free stuff"?
IRC stands for
Internet Relay Chat; it was designed to allow people
to chat with each other in real time. Think of
it as the granddaddy of IM and those AOL or web
"chat rooms." mIRC for Windows is the most
popular IRC program.
IRC also has some
very simple file sending abilities, intended
originally for people to send each other a picture or
small text file, etc. Recently, experienced IRC users
have turned that into an illegal way to trade songs,
movies, games, etc., but note that word: experienced.
Unlike other peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing
protocols, IRC was never intended for widespread file
trading, so it has no official, centralized
list of files and no standard commands for
trading files. That's why some call IRC the
"geek-centric way to get free stuff," which
is a polite way of saying file trading is not suitable
for new users.
So how do all those
100000s of geeks do it anyway? If you seriously want
to know, read
on....
Whatever you do,
please don't go around randomly asking
strangers for files or typing "!list" or
"@find". Also, keep in mind that people on
IRC help channels are volunteers who are there to
answer legitimate IRC questions, not to become your
accomplice in crime. If you ignore this advice, you'll
find only ridicule or trouble.
You may encounter a user who is attempting to send you files whichare really viruses and trojans. Some of these files may be called Movie.avi.pif, Pretty Park, DMSetup, Links.vbs and others. There are
also some malicious devices such as 'backdoors' which will permit others to access your computer. Whatever they are, and whatever they
are called, they can and will damage your computer.
The only way you can prevent the transmission of these files is to *always keep your DCC get preferences set to ignore*. In this way you must turn on your DCC get in order to receive a file. *Never accept and run any files from anyone you do not know*.
If you think you are infected please quit all channels you happen to be in. This is to prevent the spreading of the virus. Go immediately to #NoHack, the DALnet channel where virus help can be received. Give this advice to anyone you know who is spreading a virus. If the
individual chooses not to go, please find an IRC Operator and tell him/her in which channel this person is spreading the virus.
DALnet has established a prevention system called DCCALLOW which essentially blocks files with extensions that viruses commonly use. Most people do not know that they are sending viruses. If you can, contact them and get them to join #nohack or to scan their computer for viruses. It is not necessary to report these users to IRCops though. Further information on DCCALLOW is available at
http://docs.dal.net/docs/misc.html.
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