Just Conflux is a forward-looking IRC network, founded in 2023 by long-time IRC enthusiasts. The network has one eye firmly focused on the future, but simultaneously nurtures a fondness and appreciation for the independent, self-maintained communities that existed in the earlier years of the Internet.
We hope to change how people think about IRC in the 2020s and beyond, and demonstrate that there is still an alternative to being pushed around by big tech and social media.
IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat. It's a non-proprietary protocol (that means nobody owns the technology) for running Internet chat rooms (known as "channels" in the world of IRC).
IRC was created in August 1988 by Jarkko Oikarinen (a.k.a. WiZ), a 21-year-old research assistant at the University of Oulo in Finland. IRC gradually grew as people at other universities adopted it. By the late 90s, IRC had millions of users spread across many networks around the world.
The quickest and easiest way to start chatting is by clicking the webchat link at the top of this page. Then just type in a nickname, click "Connect" and start chatting!
We plan to develop a more comprehensive guide for new IRC users, but it's not ready yet...
You can also reach us by emailing staff [at] justconflux.net