In addition to mailing list communication, real-time communication is available on Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Follow this link for web based access to the #gslug channel on the freenode network. Because freenode has been handling a very large volume of spam recently. users may need to register before posting. To register, enter the command :

 /msg NickServ register <password> <email>

You should recieve verification instructions via e-mail. Next time you join the irc channel you will need to identifiy yourself by typing :

 /msg NickServ identify <password>

whenever you connect to Freenode. Here is a more in-depth guide on the Freenode website .

This is illustrated in the following screenshot:

Most desktop clients provide for automatic authentication after initial registration.