# $EPIC: 2_Queries,v 1.3 2001/11/18 06:45:33 dinodrac Exp $
Section 2: Server Queries                                                   

This section discusses "Server Queries".  Being comfortable with these
commands will be very important to your IRC experience.  These commands
in one way or another ask an irc server for information.  As examples,
you can get a list of public channels, list of people in a channel, or 
detailed information about a particular user.

You can use irc without being proficient with these commands but you
probably won't enjoy yourself quite as much.

A "Remote server" is any other server on the same irc network as the 
server you are connected to.  

You cannot in general talk to servers on other irc networks unless you are 
actually connected to that network.

Some servers restrict or limit your ability to send queries to remote 
servers.  You may get an error message, or you may get nothing at all 
in response.  You should never programmatically wait (using an /on or
anything of the like) for a remote server reply to come back.

Some commands notify IRC operators when they are used. An effort has been
made to add privacy warnings where appropriate.