IRC or Internet Relay Chat:  an addictive way to spend numerous hours online talking with other people and sharing files.  I spend my time online opping in a channel named #Mp3alternative on dalnet. 

If you are unfamiliar with IRC or mp3s, I will provide a few links and some tips as well as some suggestions for scripts for use on IRC.

The most popular IRC client is called mIRC.  If you are interested in talking to people throughout the world this program is for you.  If you use Windows 3.11 download the 16 bit version.  If you use Win95, Win98 or Win NT download the 32 bit version.  If you are already an experienced mIRC user then I suggest using a script (a modified version of mIRC).

There are numerous scripts out, each typically serving a specific purpose.  I will review a few of them on here and give my opinions.

One of the more popular mp3 scripts out right now is called SpR Jukebox.  It is an addon for regular mIRC and is used to play, send and receive mp3s and other files on IRC.  It is extremely easy to install, setup and use.  I recommend it for everyone from beginners to experienced users.

Another good script out (and the one I currently use) is called 7th Sparrow.  It is the big brother to SpR Jukebox.  It is an entire script (not an addon) and uses SpR Jukebox for it's mp3 interface.  It has a ton of nice features and is a well-written script.  I recommend it for moderate to experienced users due to it's number of features.

I have been toying with a script called NexGen Acidmax Build 8.  NexGen is a very intense script with just about every feature a person could want.  Mp3 support has recently been added, but I am finding that it is buggy and difficult to setup and use.  NexGen still rates very high as it is nicely written and will provide all the protection you could possibly want.  I recommend it for experienced users only due to the high number of features that it contains.

To listen to mp3s you will need an mp3 player.  The most popular and most feature-filled player to date is winamp.  It is easy to use and very user friendly.  Most all the mp3 scripts use winamp for playing mp3s so I suggest if you are looking for a player to use it.