First of all... why should someone bother about IRC?
Because the developers hang on it for several hours a day. They are really receptive to suggestions and reasonable requests (I stress on the word reasonable) and easy to do bug fixes (i.e. the destroyed buildings even when they were rebuilt was a my request; likewise the essence channeler at Mambow Point. Hoard value changes too were made upon my simple request). This because IRC is as practical and live as in game chat, so they can see your request and if deemed necessary do something in real time.
Ok, now for the practical instructions:
I am really a newbie and I barely am able to start it, anyway I'll tell you what I do:
First I downloaded the mirc program and installed it, from www.mirc.com
Then it should show an options windows.
You have to choose Connect in the tree view on the left then servers then Add and enter a server description and the address:
irc.wuffpaws.com
port: 6667
Closethis window and click "Connect".
From now on, to connect you'll only have to click Connect and select the "tazoon" server you wrote now.
Some stuff will scroll (ignore it, it's like when you choose a shard to play) then a Favorites window appears.
Once again the first time you have to click add, then insert the channel name:
#tazoon
I don't know if it's case sensitive. I wrote it in lower case and it works. Close that window.
From now on you'll only have to scroll the list until you see #tazoon and then click "join", like a chat on a shard. To be true, I think that in Horizons AE copied the concept of IRC straight into the game, so if you know the game you should know IRC.
Lastly, wait a while an you'll see a chat open (ignore the first window from now on).
On the right there are the player names, on the left their chat.
In the bottomthere is a line where you type your stuff, like in game.
Besides just typing you may too use some commands.
So far I use:
/help - opens the help window.
/nick Blah - sets your shown name to Blah. Many use it to indicate i.e. afk.
Example: /nick Vahrokh|afk makes my name become Vahrokh|afk
./me Blah creates an emote (remove the dot - had to put it or the forum would interpret it)
Example /me Hugs -> *Vahrokh hugs
/ignore Name - puts that name on ignore
Right mouse click on a name: lets you get some informations about that name and allows you to slap (last option) someone with a trout! (Had to provide such fundamentals in this brief [H]).
Typing a name of an online guy + TAB key autocompletes the name
Example Vah + TAB = Vahrokh
/msg Name Stuff - Sends a PM containing Stuff to Name.
Hope this tutorial made by a complete newbie helps.