The History of IRC and mIRC

The World Before Social Networks and Constant Connectivity

In today’s society, which is organically intertwined with the global network, it is hard to imagine a time when the internet was not a living environment but a specific place one had to „travel” to. This was an era before smartphones, before fiber optics, and before algorithmic news feeds. Connecting to the network was a ritual accompanied by the specific screech of a modem, technological barriers, and an aura of mystery. To understand the phenomenon of Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and its impact on the technological development of Lithuania and the world, it is essential to recall the context – a time when digital communication resembled the „wild west”.
In the 1990s, having a computer at home was a luxury, and internet connectivity was an expensive and slow resource. Most users connected via telephone lines, which meant a simple sacrifice: while browsing, no one could call in. This created a natural time deficit and a sense of value for every minute. It was in this context, where every byte cost real money, that IRC flourished – a protocol that allowed real-time communication with minimal data flow, bypassing geographical boundaries.
This was not only a technological but also a social breakthrough. The previously dominant BBS (Bulletin Board System) resembled bulletin boards with long response times. IRC offered immediacy – synchronous communication. This created the illusion of being together in real-time, which became a cornerstone of internet culture. Unlike modern „walled garden” platforms, IRC was open, decentralized, and required technical literacy.

Jarkko Oikarinen and the Vision of Server Connectivity

The history of IRC began not in Silicon Valley, but in Northern Finland. In the summer of 1988, University of Oulu student Jarkko Oikarinen (known as „WiZ”) sought to improve the university’s BBS system „OuluBox”. The then-current chat program MUT would freeze with a higher number of users and could not connect different servers.
Oikarinen’s goal was modest – a better solution for the local community. Using the C language, he created a system operating on a client-server principle, where the server acted as a relay, forwarding messages. Thus, Internet Relay Chat was born. The first server tolsun.oulu.fi was launched in August 1988.
The real breakthrough occurred when J. Oikarinen’s colleagues helped distribute the code beyond Finland, connecting with universities in Denver and Oregon in the USA. This was a bold step, as transcontinental connections were limited at the time. When US universities launched IRC daemons (server software), IRC became an international phenomenon. It was a triumph of academic curiosity and the open-source (open source) philosophy – without a business plan or investors.

How IRC Works, RFC 1459, and the „Netsplit” Phenomenon

The secret to IRC’s longevity lies in its architecture, which radically differs from modern cloud systems. Officially described in the document RFC 1459 (1993), IRC operates at the application layer of the OSI model and is a pure text protocol. This means that a user can connect even using a simple „Telnet” client, manually typing commands (e.g., NICK, JOIN, PRIVMSG).

Decentralization and „Netsplit”

Unlike „Messenger”, the IRC network consists of many interconnected servers. A user in Vilnius and a user in New York can be on different servers but see each other in the same channel. However, this architecture had a unique side effect – „Netsplit”.
When the connection between servers was interrupted, the network would split. To users, this appeared as a mass disconnection of others. It became a social and tactical event: hackers and malefactors would wait for the „Netsplit” moment to seize channels (channel takeover) on the empty side of the network and, when the servers reconnected, attempt to impose their rights.

Data Transfer: DCC and CTCP

Although designed for text, IRC became a primary file-sharing venue thanks to the DCC (Direct Client-to-Client) protocol. This allowed users to send files directly to each other, bypassing the server. In the 1990s, it was a hub for pirated software and MP3 file exchanges, where users created „F-Serve” file repositories.

The Emergence of EFnet, IRCnet, Undernet, and DALnet

The popularity of IRC brought political disagreements over governance, known as the „Great Split” (The Great Split).

• EFnet: The original network, which became the „wild west” without strict rules. Here, channel owners had no guarantees to maintain their status.
• Undernet: Formed for stability, implementing the „Timestamping” protocol for channel protection.
• DALnet: A pioneer in the services (Services) field. They created NickServ (nickname registration) and ChanServ (channel registration), which became the standard for user-friendliness.
• IRCnet: The European branch, which included the Lithuanian irc.omnitel.net. Importantly, IRCnet did not have registration services, leading to a specific, more aggressive culture that required technical knowledge in Lithuania.

How Khaled Mardam-Bey and the Shareware Model Changed Everything

If J. Oikarinen created the infrastructure, Khaled Mardam-Bey created the face. The first version of mIRC for Windows, released in 1995, made the technology accessible to the masses. It was intuitive, stable, and had a brilliant distribution model. Although mIRC was a shareware program with a 30-day trial period, it continued to function, merely asking users to support the author. Khaled’s photo on the startup screen became one of the most famous internet memes.
The greatest power of mIRC lay in mSL (mIRC Scripting Language). This integrated programming language transformed passive users into creators. To have a „cool” client, one needed to know how to edit code. In Lithuania, thousands of teenagers took their first programming steps not in university but by writing protection scripts, quiz bots, or automated greetings in the mIRC environment.

irc.omnitel.net, the „Lietuvis” Script, and the Virtual State

Lithuania’s internet history is inseparable from the irc.omnitel.net server. At that time, „Omnitel” provided fast local connectivity, making this server a primary gathering place. Since the server belonged to the IRCnet network without registration services, the „laws of the jungle” prevailed: to maintain a channel, one had to be vigilant or create bots to protect their rights.
Lithuanian IRC was structured:

• #lietuva: The main square for discussions and trolling.
• #vilnius, #kaunas, #klaipeda: City channels that replaced social networks and organized real meetings (the „IRC myths”).
• #protmusis: One of the most popular entertainment channels with automated quiz bots.

National Software: „Lietuvis”

Users often used modified packages rather than clean mIRC, the most famous of which was „Lietuvis”. This add-on, created by enthusiasts, translated the menus into Lithuanian, added automatic login scripts, color codes, and protections. It was a cultural phenomenon that „disrupted” global technology.

„Tesonet” and the Borderless Business Incubator

IRC was not just a playground – it was a business incubator. A prime example is one of Lithuania’s largest technology companies, „Tesonet” (creators of „NordVPN” and „Surfshark”). Its founders, Tomas Okmanas and Eimantas Sabaliauskas, met precisely in an IRC channel around 1999-2000.
The early connection in a neutral, technocratic environment laid the foundation for a long-term partnership. The IRC culture, valuing speed, problem-solving „here and now”, and technical proficiency (the „hacker spirit”), transferred into their business DNA. This shows that IRC taught Lithuanians to work globally and create prototypes long before the concept of startups became fashionable.

Anonymity, Deindividuation, and Operator Power

IRC was a social experiment. Unlike „Facebook”, here identity was just a nickname (Nick). This encouraged deindividuation – a state where the sense of responsibility is lost. This led to duality: users were more open and sought support, but „flaming” (insulting) and trolling also thrived.
The hierarchy was strict and visible. A regular user was nothing, while an Operator (@) was a god in their channel. It was a great school of politics: teenagers learned to negotiate, create alliances, and wield „soft power” to gain or maintain privileged status.

„Twitch”, „Slack”, and the Invisible IRC Foundations

It may seem that IRC has died, but it has become an invisible foundation of the internet.

„Twitch” – The Largest IRC Network

The most popular streaming platform, „Twitch”, uses the IRC protocol for its chat system. When millions of users send messages, their browsers connect to irc.chat.twitch.tv. This is proof that the protocol created by J. Oikarinen is so efficient (low latency, high throughput) that even after 35 years, it has no equals.

„Slack” and „Discord”

These corporate and gaming platforms are spiritual successors of IRC. Their structure (Servers -> Channels with # -> Users with @) and commands (e.g., /me, /join) are directly inherited from IRC. The only difference is that they store history in the cloud and add media files, which the old IRC could not do without add-ons.

Key Facts and Network Comparison