1. Go to http://www.mibbit.com/chat/
2. In the top box, select "Quakenet" network
3. Enter your nickname in the nickname field
4. Enter #Quakeworld in the channel(s) field
5. Press "Go", now you will connect to IRC. If you are connected you will be automatically thrown into the #Quakeworld channel and see a bunch of other users on the right. To chat, you input text and press enter in the field at the bottom of the page. :p

If you feel like it you can join other channels by typing /join #qwrookie for example, to enter the rookie channel.

Frequent users of IRC (i.e. 99.9% of the Quakeworld community) use an IRC client like mIRC but that's another guide someone has to write. Also, users of mIRC should note that this web-based approach can be used to bypass firewalls.


EDIT:
better way to connect to irc:

Quakenet's official webirc client uses the users own ip: http://webchat.quakenet.org/

Sadly #Quakeworld is far from the most chatty channel. Don't know what to recommend as an alternative though.

mibbit users can be G-Lined easily because quakenet irc doesnt multiple connections from the same ip. Its good for passing through firewalls, but thats about it. A cgi:irc link in qw.nu or other option would do the trick, because software like this uses your own ip. Here's an example i mentioned years ago.

CGI:IRC in particular doesn't use the client's own IP, but other software that does is indeed readily available.

I believe mibbit has an exception from the connections limit.

Mibbit does pass through the user's IP (for bans) and most of the time it works fine. Sometimes you just need to leave it for 5 mins and then connect.

I made a tree over good irc channels based on country/help/rookie etc but I have lost it

Lets make a list for that perhaps? (ps this is all unofficial and just what I think the chans stand for or are good for)




Main site/event

#quakeworld (qw.nu talk)
#qhlan (qhlan.org talk)
#ezquake (client talk)
#qtv (mvdsv/qtv/ktx talk) (there is #mvdsv #ktx #fte )
#qwrookie (rookie talk)
#qwnet (serveme talk)
#ibh (random talk, most sports and random qw)&

Tourney

#eql.qw (eql talk)
#duelmania (duelmania talk)
#dreamhack.quake (dreamhack talk)
#ownage.qw (ownage talk)
#nqr (nqr talk)
#qwdl (qwdl talk)

Country

#qw.cz (cz talk)
#qw.ger (.de talk)
#qw.ru (russian talk)
#qw.pl (polish talk)
#qw.es (spanish talk)
#nl-quake (holland talk)
#qw.no (norway talk)
#quake.se (swedish talk)
#quake.fi (finland talk)
#quake.dk (danish talk)
#quake.ie (irish talk)
#quakeworld.il (israel talk)
#american (north american talk)


more to fill in? change?
perhaps this should be put on the first entry?

big clans:

#slackers
#tvs
#legeartis
#ibh (?)

mods?

#qwctf (ctf talk?)
#chosen (tf talk?)
#qwcoop


tourneys

#ignition.qw
#tomtefortress

country

#qw.ch
#qw.pt
#qw.fr
#qw.uk
#quake.ua
#qw.ie its not #quake.ie

Quakenet's official webirc client uses the users own ip: http://webchat.quakenet.org/

QW-DEV.net has it's own webirc here: http://qw-dev.net/irc (Quakenet)

The easier way is to use the new "chat" link right here at quakeworld.nu (on the bottom of the page)