The IRC server that you can connect to with the client at the bottom of the match viewer
is available to connect to with an external IRC client. The steps below are a simple how-to accomplish this.
1) Download and install your favorite IRC client. A few good ones include Chatzilla, a Firefox addon:
(https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/16) and mIRC, a stand-alone Shareware program for Windows:
(http://www.mirc.com/get.html)2) In your client, set up a connection to irc.buzzerbeater.org on port 6667. For Chatzilla, this can be accomplished with the command "/server irc.buzzerbeater.org"
3) Set your nickname to something you want to be identified by, using the command "/nick <myNick>" (without the quotes, put the nick name you want in place of <myNick>)
4) Join a channel by using "/join #<channelName>". You will need the # in front of the name of the channels. By default, the channels the match viewer client connects to are named such as #USA (the country name, as listed on the
(/world/overview.aspx) page), #USA_III9 for league matches (the country name, an underscore, and then the league name without the .), and #Gxxxxxxxx (G, followed by the match ID of the match you're viewing). So, if you hang out in the #<country> channel of a country with active games, you'll probably see people online.
I think it'd be neat if people started using BB-IRC more even between game days. I know I'll be happy to have someone to commiserate with between stunning losses.