To date, the Sega Dreamcast appears to use the same IRC chat features as its predecessor, the Sega Saturn Netlink. This tutorial will lead you through the process of getting on the QWorld chat server with either of these internet devices.
First, a note: When entering QWorld chat, your screen nickname will be whatever you have set as the name on your email. Consult your user's guide to locate these settings, and if you have your real name listed, you will probably want to replace it with a "nick." This is not the name listed as your email (ie , but is the general name which accompanies it.
For this example, we will use the channel #Sapphos (the # symbols is used in IRC chat to indicate a channel, or room, on the server). However, you can simply replace this channel with any of the channels listed on QWorld's Chat Information Page.
In order to join the IRC chat at QWorld, you have to actually type in the web address (URL) of the chat; Sega's products do not yet have the ability to simply click a link and join the chats. From the normal web-browsing screen, place your cursor in the URL/address bar, then type:
The elements of this URL are:
pwchat:// -- this is the equivalent of the http:// you are perhaps used to, and defines the type of web address you are accessing
Chat.qworld.org -- this is the web address of QWorld's chat server
6667 -- this is the port number on which IRC chat occurs at Qworld
#Sapphos -- this is the channel, or room, you are entering once on the server.
After typing the above URL, simply hit the Enter key. At this point you should new items pop up on the screen, including scrolling text which indicates that your are connecting to the QWorld server, and a list of names of who is in the room. Once the scrolling stops, you should see text stating that you have entered #Sapphos. Congratulations! At this point, you should be in the chatroom! You can consult the links on the Chat Information Page for more help with IRC chat commands. However, for Sega users, it should be noted that some commands will not work. You will be able to use the "/me" and "/msg" commands, which allow you to post actions and private messages, respectively.
You may at times hear others discussing "being in the hall." This simply means that they have connected to the Qworld server but have not entered a specific room. When you are "in the hall" you can send private messages to others on the server. To enter the Qworld server but remain only "in the hall," simply enter:
After entering this URL and hitting the Enter Key, you will see the same nick listing and scrolling text. However, once the scrolling ends, you will be connected and on the server, but not in a specific room.
For more help and information, you can also consult these sites:
For the Sega Dreamcast:
Sega Dreamcast Website
The long version of Dreamcast's IRC tutorial
For the Sega Saturn Netlink:
NetLinkWorld - a site which has archives of help information and a still-active message board for Sega Saturn Netlink Users
LoggyQW's Sega Netlink Page - for general information on the Netlink and more general resources