For my part, I agree it is a cool way to exchange files directly. I was just worried about security on my own systems. It was years ago, maybe 10, probably more cause I think it was the great crash of '97. I think bots got me back then. The mIRC library would open and just hang open and I couldn't get rid of it and was attacked As for the AOL chat rooms which use IRC protocol, well its AOL and we all know what that stands for (from the old days...) so I can't pin the viruses, etc that we got through my kids using AOL on IRC itself, just the abuse of a not well secured protocol.
If there is a password, that is a farily easy thing. It could be changed periodically and the change posted in a topic here on the board and folks, of course, use their forum handles for the nicknames.
The coolest thing was alluded to earlier in the thread, run an IRC server on the RUKIND forum server and provide a web enabled IRC chat client, through the board. Then folks could hang out, live chat and post to discussions, do DCC transfers and read tabs and...and...and all at the same time

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Anyway, to all those using it, just be aware of who is on the channel. Once you are in DCC mode, I think you are pretty secure from attacks, etc.
And have fun trading!!!!!
Dave