nickserv

To change your nick type /nick then the nick you want
Example /nick HopeNHim

When you begin chatting, you may notice that it is difficult to get the nickname you want.
Once you do find one, often someone else uses it as well.
The best way to guarantee that a nick is yours and only yours is to register and then to set a kill on it
to prevent others from using it. This is fairly easy to do.
Type the following commands

/msg nickserv register <password> <email address>

Example: If my password is popcorn and my email is salti@christian-chat.net, Id type
/nickserv register popcorn salti@christian-chat.net
In the event that you forget your password, it can be sent to the emial address you registered the nick under.

To identify your nick with your password, you type
/msg nickserv identify <password>
Example: if my password is popcorn, I type /msg nickserv identify popcorn
you should identify every time you use the nick
passwords are case sensitive. if your password is popcorn, nickserv will not accept Popcorn, POPCORN, etc.

To set a kill on your nick so that it will completely prevent others from using it
/nickserv set kill on
Example: /msg nickserv set kill on
You only need to do this once and it will remain on as long as the nick is registered unless you turn it off.
To turn the kill off, type /msg nickserv set kill off

You may later need to change your passowrd or your email address.
Below are the commands to do that.
You will need to identify to nickserv (/msg nickserv identify <password>) before you can change anything.
To change your password type
/msg nickserv set password <new password>
Example: /msg nickserv set password butterpopcorn

To change email addresses type
/Nickserv Set email <emailaddress>
example: /nickserv set email salti@somewhereelse.net

In the event that you get disconnected but your nick remains there, you may can get it back by typing
/msg nickserv ghost nick <password>
then type /msg nickserv release <nick> <password>

Nickserv may or may not make you identify your nick each time you chat. It is best that you always identify it
because if a nick is not identified for 30 consecutive days, it will become unregistered.
In the event that nickserv dies not recognize you and asks you to identify, you will only have 60 seconds to do so,
then nickserv will change your nick.
You may reclaim your nick by typing /msg nickserv release <nick> <password>
Example: /msg nickserv relaese HopeNHim popcorn
Then type /nick and your nick
Example /nick HopeNHim
then identify
Example: /msg nickserv identify popcorn