How to Create a Private Channel in IRC

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 Tested

Sometimes a situation requires a private discussion between you and another editor or group of editors. When in an IRC, it's simple to create your own private channel, and invite other users to join in.

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Inside the new channel, assign a topic to it by typing /topic This channel is about recent change patrol where This channel is about recent changes patrol is the topic of the new channel.
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4
Invite others to join. In the larger, public channel, type /invite john #mychannel , where john is the user name and #mychannel is your channel.'
- If you want your channel to be invitation only , type /mode #mychannel +i where #mychannel is the name of your channel.
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If you don't mind your new channel being public, don't do anything. All new channels are automatically public.

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Tips

By creating a new private channel, you automatically become the operator (op) of that channel. You can pass along ops to another user by typing /op jack , where jack is the other user.

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Kick or ban anyone within your channel as you feel is necessary. Do this by using the /kick or /ban commands. Only operators may perform this function.

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Creating a topic for your channel can help with discussion and also show anyone using the /list command what your channel is about. They won't be able to see your channel in the list if you set it to private.

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Warnings

Private discussions can be hazardous when they are used to talk behind someone's back. Use them sparingly and only when absolutely necessary.

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How to Create a Private Channel in IRC

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