Like many people new to the internet without the confines of AOL, I took comfort in a channel called #Newbies because the people there were nice to me (didn't send me nasty bugs or try to solicit sex from me) and even seemed to invite my contribution to the chat. Before I knew it, I was completely at home using ircII from a unix dumb term. It's amazing how my typing speed improved.
Many moons later, I've made a lot of friends chatting in #Newbies and have climbed the ranks to become an Op, which is a channel moderator. The clout this position holds depends on the channel, but in #Newbies it is an earned privilege requiring hours of dedication to helping newcomers to IRC (newbies) with technical issues as well as providing them with a place to chat without the fear of solicitation, profanity, or other undesirable things which can and do occur in some other channels. Whether the Internet is a brand new, uncharted world for you or you're just starting to leave the confines of AOL, it's reassuring to know there's at least one chat channel where you can be sure to find helpful, friendly people.
