IRC/WikiLounge

WikiLounge is a modern, always-on IRC web client and bouncer built specifically for the Wikimedia community. Hosted securely on Wikimedia Cloud Services (WMCS), it provides volunteers with a seamless, mobile-friendly way to chat on the Libera.Chat network without dropping connections or missing messages when offline.

About / Developers

WikiLounge is powered by the open-source The Lounge software. It was deployed and is currently maintained by ZI Jony as a tool to improve the communication experience for Wikimedia volunteers.

Because it acts as a bouncer, WikiLounge keeps your IRC presence active 24/7. When you log back in via your web browser or mobile device, you can read the channel history you missed while you were away.

Code of Conduct

WikiLounge is a Wikimedia-hosted community space. By logging into and using this service, you agree to adhere to the Wikimedia Universal Code of Conduct (UCoC).

Any harassment, abuse, or violation of the UCoC on this platform may result in the revocation of your WikiLounge account and could be reported to the appropriate Wikimedia bodies.

User Manual

Prerequisites for an Account

For security and server capacity reasons, WikiLounge is an invite-only platform. Users must meet the following requirements before requesting an account:

• Global Edits: You must have at least 500 edits globally across Wikimedia projects.
• IRC Cloak: It is highly recommended that you have a registered Wikimedia IRC Cloak.
• Contact Method: You must have the "Email this user" feature enabled on your wiki account, OR be willing to provide a valid email address for credential delivery.

How to Request an Invite

If you meet the requirements above, you can request an account by filing a task in Wikimedia Phabricator. Follow these steps:

1. If you do not have a Phabricator account yet, follow the instructions at mw:Phabricator/Help#Creating your account
2. Fill out the form and create a task in Phabricator
3. Await Credentials: Once your request has been verified, the administrator will provision your account and securely send you your temporary password.

How to Connect

Once you have received your temporary credentials:

1. Go to https://chat.wmcloud.org in your web browser (desktop or mobile).
2. Enter your username and temporary password to log in.
3. Go to Settings > Account (the gear icon in the bottom left).
4. Scroll down to the password section and change your temporary password to a secure, permanent one.
5. Enjoy your persistent IRC connection!

Forgot Password / Reset

Because WikiLounge does not have an automated email recovery system, you cannot reset your password yourself if you get locked out.

• If you forget your password, please click here to file a password reset task in Phabricator.

Privacy Policy & Disclaimers

WikiLounge is hosted on Wikimedia Cloud VPS. By using this service, you acknowledge the following data handling practices:

• Message Logging: To provide the "catch-up" feature, WikiLounge logs your private messages and channel history to the secure WMCS server disk. These logs are private to your account.
• IP Masking: Your personal IP address is hidden from the public IRC network. Libera.Chat will only see the Wikimedia Cloud IPv6 address assigned to the server.
• Passwords: Your WikiLounge login password is cryptographically hashed. However, your Libera.Chat network password (NickServ) is stored locally on the server to allow the bouncer to auto-connect you.
• Disclaimer: This is a volunteer-run service hosted on Wikimedia infrastructure but is not an officially governed WMF product. Use it at your own risk. Do not use this service to transmit highly sensitive personal data.