About

What is /whois?

The /whois command in IRC displays information about a user, including their nickname, real name, server, channels, and other details. While modern IRC clients typically display this information in plain, functional formats, classic IRC clients and themes treated this output as an opportunity for artistic expression through ASCII art, creative layouts, and color schemes.

The Collection

This collection features themes from kano.tcl, a popular XiRCON addon that provided numerous themed /whois output formats, each with its own distinctive visual style ranging from minimalist designs to elaborate ASCII artwork. The repository is open to contributions of /whois themes from other IRC clients and script collections.

All screenshots were captured using XiRCON with the kano.tcl addon, which was one of the most popular IRC client customization packages of its era.

Historical Context

These themes represent a unique period in internet history when IRC was a primary form of online communication and users took great pride in customizing their client's appearance. The creativity displayed in these /whois outputs reflects the hacker/demo scene culture of the era, where making something beautiful within technical constraints was both an art form and a point of community pride.

Each theme demonstrates different approaches to ASCII art and text formatting, from geometric patterns and borders to elaborate artwork and creative typography effects using IRC's limited color palette and character sets.