Hi Tina,
Here's a copy and paste from an earlier thread:

You might need to enable java in your browser preferences, if you do not have it, it's a free download from sunmicrosystems. I use the chatzilla plug-in for mozilla/firefox, its a IRC (internet relay chat) program. here is a quote from an email I recieved from John concerning setup to chat.

Nicknames:

On the new java chat entrances that are attached directly to our website, upon the room opening (which is much faster now), you will automatically enter the room as a "Guest". To change to the nickname of your choice, look in the lower right corner of the chat window and you will see where it says, "Change Nick To"... and under that a box. Type your desired nickname into that box, and hit your Enter key on the keyboard. This will automatically change your Guest nick to the nickname of your choice. Now, place your mouse cursor in the area were text is typed out, click your mouse so you see the cursor in that area, and you are ready to chat. Because we are the only users on the new server, (no other rooms or users will be on this server) it is not so imperative that you register your nickname unless you want to in order to secure it solely for your own use on the server. If you want to register it, after getting changed to it, type the following and send it into the room.

"/msg nickserv register password" (Replace "password" with a password you will remember as it is not retrivable should you forget it.) Doing this will require that you identify to the server as the registered owner of this nickname each time you enter the room and try to use the nickname. To identify as the owner of your nickname after you have registered it and you enter the room with it, type the following and send it into the chat room. "/msg nickserv identify password" (again, replace the word password with the password you registered your nickname with.) If you fail to identify to the server as the registered owner of your nickname in a relatively short amount of time, your nick will automatically be turned back into a Guest nick. This is how you can be assured that no one else is able to use a nickname that you picked for yourself. Again, nickname registration is not required, only a way to secure your nickname from others using it and possibly registering it to themselves if its not registered to you.


Setting up mIRC

Open your mirc program and at the top of the status window, you will see some icons. One of them is a picture of a folder with a hammer next to it. This is your mIRC Options window. Click it. On the window that opens is a ADD button, click it. In the Description box, type - Miracles In Progress Server, in the IRC Server box type "gromit.jmrtech.net", in the Port(s) box type 6667,6668,6669,7000 and click ADD. Now click on the Connect To Server button and you will be on the new server. The MIP chat rooms will keep their old names, so you would just join them the same way you did before once connected to the server.

All ops and chairpersons please get this server set up on your mIRC program immedately so we can make this transition with relative ease and give it a full test drive on Sunday nite. After you are set up, you will always be able to find the Miracles In Progress Server at the bottom of your server list on mIRC.

Hope that helps you get up and chatting!

On another note, job and family? NA will save your life, IF you lose your job because you attend meetings, there are other jobs. This is why NA is an anonymous program, your atendence should remain confidential, if it doesn't work out that way is it worth your life to keep the secret? Embarassment goes away over time, your family would be much more upset to lose you forever than to know you go to meetings. There are a couple of sayings about fear in the rooms of NA. 1) F**k Everything And Run, or Face Everything And Recover- it is a choice. &2) Courage is NOT a lack of fear, it's being afraid and doing what needs to be done anyway. Online meetings are a wonderful resource. However I can not see the magic happening in them like happens in face to face meetings. One of the things so wonderful about face to face meetings is learning to let people into our lives, and learning that no matter how bad we think we are, people in recovery will love us until we learn to love ourselves. Being able to identify parts of yourself in other addicts and being able to hear parts of their story that match yours help to let you know that you are not alone. The isolation we live in when we are in active addiction is one of the things that keeps us sick.

I was scared as hell when I went into my first meeting! The unknown scared the hell out of me. I ended up going anyway and after a while I came to understand that this was the only place I had ever been in my life where I felt like I truely belonged. It's way better to face everything and recover, than to face the world alone.

Lon