When I hear of students staying up late at night using the internet I suspect he or she is using the irc.  The IRC enables users to chat using the keyboard, to other users throughout the world.  The chat may be one-to-one, or it may be as part of a chat group.  Chat groups are formed at will, and many are continuously popular. 

To connect to the irc network you need an irc server.  I recommend mIRC which can be downloaded from  the mIRC Home page, and you can also download the FAQ [Frequently Asked Questions] for guidance.  Pirch is an alternative.

STARTING TO USE THE irc

You need to connect to a server. The mIRC comes with a number of servers pre-set. Some of these are good, but they make more sense from London than they do from Melbourne. 

From Melbourne I suggest the following: