IRC isnt really much diff from IRL (in real life), there are good ppl and bad. Ppl have good days and bad. There are those who let a perceived "power" go to their head. Equally, there are those that the majority of ppl have no idea what walking in their shoes is like, rather like its easy to gripe about your boss without having a clear idea of all he has to cope with.
-Just as you wouldnt walk up to a total stranger and tell them your life story/where you live/your real name/intimate details etc, dont do it on IRC. You will find the greatest ppl in the world who will add a lot to your life. You will also find the dregs of society. Take the time to figure out which is which
-Use common sense
-Exercise common courtesy and respect
-if you wouldnt say it in front of your mother/father/spouse
/religious leader/dog then dont type it in open channel
-dont download everything, type everything, click on every url ppl tell you to. thats how ppl get virii/trojans/hacked.
-look at each channel as the ops "home". its theirs to run as they choose. if its unpleasant for you, dont go there, but respect their rules and general netiquette while you're there. read their topic and any rules sent when you join.
-IRC gives us the wonderful opportunity to learn about other countries and cultures, and "meet" ppl we otherwise never would, so be open minded
-take some time to read the various help files, both with mIRC and for the network you go to (they all have websites with tons of info as well as commands you can type to see the most common)
-dont spam/mass invite. its annoying.
