If you know what you're doing...
We're the channel #skiffy on irc.libera.chat:6997. See you there!
But if not...
IRC, or "Internet Relay Chat," is one of the oldest chat systems on the Internet - older even than the World Wide Web. It's organized across dozens of independent networks, each of which host thousands of channels (our term for "chat rooms" but this is the only time we'll say that), representing different topics, interests, cliques, and projects. #skiffy is one such channel on the Libera.chat IRC network.
IRC is very much a slice of the old Internet. Users are generally technically inclined and a little bit older than the big personalities down in the modern social networking pits. Many of us have hobbies or are employed in STEM fields. We're more privacy minded than other corners of the internet, using nicknames rather than real names. This is a lost world that has endured against the wider corporate takeover of the Internet.
And hey, it might feel like home already. Users of a certain chat program that begins with an "s" and ends in a "k" will find it aesthetically very familiar, because IRC is what they ripped off!
Connecting via webchat
This is the easiest way to connect with us to is to point your browser at Libera's webchat client. Give yourself a nickname where it says "Nick" (but not your real name, that would be lame!), enter #skiffy in the "Channel" field (including the "#"), do battle with the captcha, then click "START."
A few moments later, you should be connected. Say hello and introduce yourself!
If you don't get a response right away, be aware that most of us leave our computers connected all day and might not necessarily be at our keyboards. "Idling" is a great IRC pasttime. Tuck the window in a corner of your screen and leave it open while you do work that actually matters.
If you decide our great society is worth coming back to, book a date for your hazing ritual and consider using a dedicated application to join us...
Connecting with an IRC client (X-Chat/Hexchat)
There are many IRC clients and chat programs that include support for IRC. We tend to like Hexchat for Linux/BSD/nerd operating systems, X-Chat for Windows, and XChat Azure for OS X (actually nobody likes XChat Azure, it's just a little bit easier to install than Hexchat on a Macintosh).
Install the application and fire it up. You should be presented with a menu titled "Network List." Find libera.chat n the list. Enter a nickname for yourself and your backup choices for second and third choices. Your "username" can be almost anything and doesn't matter much.
Click on the "Edit" button and make sure the field called "Real name" is not actually your real name, since this is visible to other users. You don't need to fill in a password at this point. Click "close" when your done, then click the "connect" button.
Once you're connected type /join #skiffy and say hello!