:channel: [IRC] n. The basic unit of discussion on {IRC}. Once
one joins a channel, everything one types is read by others on that
channel. Channels can either be named with numbers or with strings
that begin with a `#' sign and can have topic descriptions (which
are generally irrelevant to the actual subject of discussion).
Some notable channels are `#initgame', `#hottub', and
`#report'. At times of international crisis, `#report'
has hundreds of members, some of whom take turns listening to
various news services and typing in summaries of the news, or in
some cases, giving first-hand accounts of the action (e.g., Scud
missile attacks in Tel Aviv during the Gulf War in 1991).
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
