channel
<chat> (Or "chat room", "room", depending on the system in question) The
basic unit of group discussion in chat systems like IRC. Once one joins a
channel, everything one types is read by others on that channel. Channels can
either be named with numbers or with strings that begin with a "#" sign and can
have topic descriptions (which are generally irrelevant to the actual subject of
discussion).
Some notable channels are "#initgame", "#hottub" and "#report". At times of
international crisis, "#report" has hundreds of members, some of whom take turns
listening to various news services and typing in summaries of the news, or in
some cases, giving first-hand accounts of the action (e.g. Scud missile attacks
in Tel Aviv during the Gulf War in 1991).
[Jargon File]
(1998-01-25)
Nearby terms:
Chalmers University of Technology « change
management « changeover « channel » channel
hopping » channel op » channel service unit
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