You should choose an easy to type, unique nickname. You will be known on
IRC by your nickname, a made-up name that serves as your unique identifier
on the
network, kind of like an Internet email address.
If you
try to choose the name of someone else
already logged onto a network, the network will reject your choice and ask
you
to choose a different name. Most IRC applications
include a setting to automatically set your nickname at startup.
Because your nickname must be unique, you should choose an unusual name. However,
you don't want it to be too long, or too hard to type. Common guidelines are that
it should not be too common, be easy to remember, and not identify your gender
or age.
You can set or change your nickname at any time with the /nick command:
/nick piano7
If you wish you can start by choosing any nickname to get you started, such as "aaaa1", and
then, once you gain experience, change it to a better choice (except on DALnet, which
assigns a permanent name).
