This was originally at https://botbot.me/how-to-setup-irc-channel -- but the site seems to have disappeared.
Note: This guide is geared towards the Freenode IRC network, but with a few small tweaks should work against most public IRC networks.
Freenode is primarily a network for people involved in open source software. Read Freenode's guidelines to determine whether you are on topic before getting started. Although we are a private company, we work on open source code, and that is sufficient to claim eligibility.