The History of IRC.

The History of IRC: From a Finnish University Lab to the Internet’s First Real-Time Chat Revolution. In the late 1980s, long before Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, or even AOL Instant Messenger existed, a Finnish student created something revolutionary: Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Today, in 2026, IRC still powers thousands of communities, gaming groups, tech support channels, and nostalgia-driven hangouts. While it may look old-school compared to modern apps, its influence on real-time online communication is immeasurable. The Birth of IRC (August 1988) Jarkko Oikarinen, a student at the University of Oulu in Finland, created IRC during the summer of 1988. He was working on the university’s public bulletin board system called OuluBox and grew frustrated with the existing multi-user chat program (called MUT). Inspired by Bitnet Relay Chat and wanting something more scalable, he wrote the first IRC server and client. The very first IRC server ran on a machine named tolsun.oulu.fi. The exact date is lost to history, but it was late August 1988.What started as a small project for Finnish university users quickly spread. Within months, servers popped up across Europe and then North America as people shared the software. The First Major Split and the Rise of EFnet. As IRC grew, so did the problems. The original network became chaotic with frequent netsplits (when servers lose connection to each other) and channel takeovers. In August 1990, a major disagreement occurred over how the network should be run. Some server admins wanted more control and rules, while others preferred complete openness. This led to the famous split:

• One side became EFnet (Eris Free Network) — which became the dominant network for many years.

• The other side was briefly called A-net.

EFnet earned a reputation as the “wild west” of IRC. It was raw, unmoderated, and full of legendary drama, but it was also where many of the earliest internet communities formed. To this day, EFnet remains one of the oldest and most “classic” IRC networks still running, known for its no-frills, no-services approach. Undernet: Stability and the First Major Channel Services. In late 1992 / early 1993, a group of users frustrated with EFnet’s chaos created Undernet. Undernet’s goal was to build a more stable, better-organized network. It used a modified IRC server software (later known as ircu) that handled netsplits more gracefully. One of Undernet’s biggest contributions was channel services. In 1994–1995, they introduced X (and later the companion bot W), a channel service bot that allowed users to register and protect channels. This was a game-changer — for the first time, regular users could have persistent, moderated spaces without constant fear of takeovers. Undernet’s services philosophy was different from later networks: it focused heavily on channel registration and management rather than nickname ownership. DALnet: The Pioneer of Modern Services: In the summer of 1994, another major network was born: DALnet. DALnet was created by users who wanted an even more user-friendly experience. While Undernet had introduced channel services, DALnet revolutionized IRC services by creating the system most networks still use today:

• NickServ — Register and protect your nickname

• ChanServ — Register and protect channels

• MemoServ — Send offline messages

DALnet is widely credited with popularizing the entire concept of “services” on IRC. Their implementation was so successful that it became the standard model copied by almost every major network that followed (including Anope services, which StormNet uses). DALnet also gained a reputation as one of the friendliest and most helpful major networks, with strong emphasis on user support. The Services Revolution Changes Everything: The introduction of services by Undernet and especially DALnet fundamentally changed IRC culture:

• Before services: Channels could be easily taken over during netsplits.

• After services: Users could truly “own” their nicknames and channels.

This made IRC much more accessible to regular people and helped it grow into a platform for serious communities, support channels, and organized groups. IRC Today (2026) While IRC’s peak popularity was in the late 90s and early 2000s, it never died. Networks like Libera.Chat (successor to freenode), EFnet, Undernet, and DALnet are still active. Newer networks and modern web clients like The Lounge have made IRC accessible again without needing a dedicated client. Many people still prefer IRC for its simplicity, low bandwidth usage, excellent scripting/automation capabilities, and the fact that it’s completely decentralized and not controlled by any single company. Why IRC Still Matters: IRC proved that real-time, multi-user text communication could scale across the internet. It laid the foundation for everything from Discord servers to Slack workspaces to modern chat apps. Its open protocol and resilient design have kept it alive for nearly 38 years. At StormNet, we’re proud to be part of this long tradition — bringing modern web access (via The Lounge) and a friendly, themed community experience while staying true to IRC’s roots.