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IRC

files/en-us/glossary/irc/index.md

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IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is a worldwide chat system requiring an Internet connection and an IRC client, which sends and receives messages via the IRC server.

Designed in the late 1980s by Jarkko Oikarinen, IRC uses {{glossary("TCP")}} and is an open protocol. The IRC server broadcasts messages to everyone connected to one of many IRC channels (each with its own ID).