#pianotech IRC

[Vanderhoofven]

Dear Friends at Pianotech,

Here is an update on #pianotech, the IRC channel.

The #pianotech channel is now up and running strong!  The channel has been
registered with the IRC Channel Service, and has a permanent "bot" named X
who maintains the channel when no one is there.  (Please don't abuse X!)  I
work five or six nights a week so my time on the channel is limited until
late at night.  But there is usually somone on the channel every night of
the week.  Tonight, I do not have to work, so I will be on the #pianotech
channel tonight from about 8:00 pm CST until late.  (Very late!  Later than
anyone could imagine!)

Recent topics on #pianotech have included discussions about cleaning pianos
damaged by smoke and fire, new piano prep, concert tuning, guitar repair and
guitar making, sharpening and selection of chisels, and much, much more.
There have also been visits from several pianists and several guitar players
asking questions or just talking about pianos and music.

If you are a beginning tuner with many questions, or an advanced concert
technician or expert rebuilder with much experience, #pianotech is the place
for you.  #pianotech is a place to get your questions answered, talk with
other technicians from around the U.S. and Canada, and have fun and meet people.

For everyone who has wanted to join us on #pianotech, tonight would be a
great time.  Any questions will be cheerfully answered!  There is a longer
IRC "primer" that I can e-mail to anyone who is interested in more detail,
and if there are more questions after reading the FAQ, please feel free to
ask me at dkvander@clandjop.com  for more details.  John Musselwhite at
musselj@cadvision.com  has indicated that he is willing to answer questions
also.

***************************************

Here are simple instructions to join us at #pianotech tonight and every night.


1.  Download an IRC program
2.  Connect with an undernet server
3.  Type /join #pianotech

Here again in more detail:


1.  Download an IRC program

Version 3.92 is the most recent (and probably best) version of mIRC.

mIRC is a very good IRC program for Windows, and you can download it free!
Here are the URLs of two mIRC homepages:

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/1822/index.html?
(Homepage of the IRC Chat client mIRC - Index)
This page includes *lots* of information and will probably answer almost any
question that you might have about IRC and mIRC.

http://mars.superlink.net/user/mook/mirc/
(The mIRC Homepage - Index)

A useful page for those who would like instructions for downloading and
installing mIRC is:
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/1822/install.html?
(Instructions for Net Newbies and Download Dummies; Downloading, Installing
and Setup of mIRC)


2.  Connect with an undernet server


Here is the URL for an Internet Relay Chat Page.
http://www.world.net/~pirovich/irc.htm
This will answer a lot of questions you might have about IRC and give you an
overview of the nets and what IRC is.  Here you will find a list of many
different servers for the Undernet.

Here are a few Undernet servers which can be used to access the #pianotech
channel:

vancouver.bc.ca.undernet.org
davis.ca.us.undernet.org
phoenix.az.us.undernet.org
us.undernet.org

3.  Type /join #pianotech

There are many more commands, but this will get you on the channel.  Once
you are there and want to leave, type /part #pianotech.  While you are on
the channel other questions about specific commands can be answered by
others already on the channel.

If you join #pianotech and no one is there, stay around for a while if you
have the time.  Sooner or later somebody will be there!

***********************************

Those of you who frequent the #pianotech channel and wish to be "opped",
please send me a message that you have read the IRC Channel Operators FAQ.
Then we can set up the channel so that you will be "opped" automatically
everytime you are on the channel.  This precaution was suggested to us by
some of the people from Channel Service.


Hope to see you all on #pianotech!

Sincerely,





David A. Vanderhoofven
dkvander@clandjop.com
Joplin, Missouri, USA
Associate Member, Piano Technicians Guild
web page:  http://www.clandjop.com/~dkvander/