The most prolific and well-known Drupal contributors collaborate real-time using IRC (Internet Relay Chat). They talk about patches up for review and changes they want to make to Drupal and its contributed projects. They trade patch reviews and help each other with thorny problems. And they're always glad to welcome new contributors. In this session we'll discuss the nuts and bolts of IRC -- what it is, how to get connected -- and what you can expect when you stick your head in the door for the first time. It's not all tea and crumpets; social skills in the real world don't always translate into IRC. We'll talk about some of the pitfalls that await unsuspecting IRC newbies, and some basic but non-obvious etiquette pointers that can help you avoid them. Given sufficient time, interest, and connectivity, we'll also have a live demonstration of how to collaborate on documentation or review a patch right on IRC.