It’s been a while since I logged on into an IRC channel to chat but I know many still prefer IRC over other chat services such as Yahoo! or instant messaging. MIRC was one of the more popular IRC clients back in the day and I remember getting nuked and bombed and contracting all sorts of viruses being a newbie and all.

But hey, it’s a whole new world of security out there and IRC’s another way to get to meet people online on all sorts of topics. But before you Google for IRC clients, how about this cool add-on - ChatZilla. Yup, it’s a chat client built for Firefox.

If streamlined functionality is your cup of tea, then this would suit you just fine. It’s got the common IRC client features such as multiple servers, list of standard networks, channel search, DCC chat, and file transfers (I wonder what goodies would you like to send over and receive?).

A bonus for more advanced users is that it’s customizable with JavaScript and CSS. And lookie here, it’s got some smileys too.

I’ve tried it out and it’s pretty much an easy thing to learn. Plus the default list of standard networks makes it ready-to-chat out of the bag.

Download ChatZilla here.