"If you have questions about Linux or open source projects, real-time help is often just a keyboard away--if you know where to look online. Forums, mailing lists, and Googling are all useful when you have questions, but if you really want answers fast, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is the place to look. If you've never ventured into IRC, here's all you need to get started.
"No doubt you're already familiar with instant messaging and have used AIM, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, or other IM services. The main difference between IRC and IM services is that IRC is designed for multi-user chat rather than one-on-one conversations, and that there are many IRC networks that users can participate on..."
