If you have not used IRC before then please look at IRC Help first. This guide only describes the additional conventions of the #afp channel.
#afp is not like most IRC channels. It has its own unique conventions (which are not rules). So if you're familiar with `real' IRC, you still have something to learn about this channel. If your first experience of IRC is this channel, then you may be shocked if you go to `real' IRC!
The L-Space servers should be listed somewhere else, but since I'm not sure where I'll list them here:
irc.ie.lspace.org is probably the closest to the US on the network.
#afp used to be active for virtually all of the day. It is currently very quiet between about 1:00 and 7:00 UTC (=GMT), and for longer periods at weekends. I've made some graphs of usage over a few days in June 1999, so you can see the patterns in more detail.
Many people use their own first name as their nickname. This is not at all obligatory, for obvious reasons. There is a general dislike of obfuscated nicknames with _ and ^ in, and since L-Space is a small network there should be no need to include these in a nickname to make it unique. There is no nickname reservation on L-Space. Most L-Space regulars appear on #afp at some time or other, so if you join #afp using a nickname that someone else already uses, you should be politely asked to change yours.
The two regular channel operators (cccb and cccb-se) are bots. A number of trusted users are able to tell the bots to make them operators on the rare occasion that it is necessary to change channel flags or to kick a user off-channel. (Actually, it's also necessary to do this before restarting the bots, and as the bots are currently being debugged this happens quite often at the moment.) Please do not ask to be an operator.
When you join the channel, please do say hello. We worry about the silent types! If you identify yourself as new to IRC or to the channel (or those on the channel identify you as new) then you will probably get all the help you need in learning our conventions and about how to use IRC and your IRC client if necessary.
We do not appreciate age/sex/location polls. #afp is not a pick-up channel. You may discover such information when people feel like including it in the conversation.
Sometimes we talk seriously about Pratchett books and other relevant stuff. Mostly, we just wibble about the same sorts of things as alt.fan.pratchett. Sometimes a regular just needs moral support, and can find that here too.
The topic line is usually set to one or two lines of conversation from earlier in the day, set out of context so as to cause maximum embarrassment to whoever wrote them. There is normally no topic-protection, and you can change this when you see a particularly good double entendre or have some witty meta-comment to make on the conversation. Occasionally it is set to something important, such as a short message from one user to another who is expected to appear later. It should be protected in this case, but will not always be. Please check the current topic before setting a new one.
Sometimes, the conversation dies away. This rarely happens when there are 10 or more users present on channel. We call this a lull. A lull is believed to be a cute furry creature with dangerous sharp teeth. Do not feed the lulls! If you start talking again, they will run away.
That's all I can think of for now. If you've read the above, you should be ready to take the plunge. If you see Womble on the channel, that's me.