Khaled Mardam-Bey
Encyclopedia
Khaled Mardam-Bey (born March 19, 1968) is a British
programmer
of Palestinian
and Syrian origin. He is notable for creating and developing the popular Internet Relay Chat
(IRC) client for Microsoft Windows
mIRC
.
Khaled decided to create mIRC
because he found the first IRC client for Windows, WinIRC, lacked some basic IRC features. Then he continued developing it due to the challenge and the fact that people appreciated his work.
mIRC became very popular, having been downloaded almost 21 million times from CNET's download.com
service as of January 2011. Nielsen Net Rankings
also ranked mIRC among the top 10 most popular Internet applications in 2003.
Through the years Khaled kept on developing the software by itself himself, occasionally posting the beta versions of mIRC in order to have users test them for software bug
s.
Khaled initially developed mIRC as a hobby
and used to disribute it as a Freeware
. Later, as mIRC became very popular and after Khaled realized he needed to devote more time to develop it, he decided to change the software license in order to make a living from developing it. Consequently, since 2004, Khaled distributed the software with an uncrippled evaluation license
which after a 30-day evaluation period employs a nag screen that pops up on startup which urge the users to register so as to support the further development of mIRC. This nag screen can be removed by registering the program for $20. As a result, since then Khaled's main work is developing mIRC.
, Jordan
, to a Syria
n father and a Palestinian
mother.
Before developing mIRC, Khaled studied for a master's degree in Cognitive Science
at the University of Westminster.
Khaled stated on his homepage that he had just started to work on his thesis
when he decided to write a small IRC client. It eventually became so popular that he decided to give up his studies and commit himself to his work on mIRC.
During the 2000s Khaled visited the Palestinian Authority to complete his master's research in environmental sciences.
Khaled is vegetarian, for moral and health reasons.
Khaled currently resides in London
, England
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
programmer
Programmer
A programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to...
of Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
and Syrian origin. He is notable for creating and developing the popular Internet Relay Chat
Internet Relay Chat
Internet Relay Chat is a protocol for real-time Internet text messaging or synchronous conferencing. It is mainly designed for group communication in discussion forums, called channels, but also allows one-to-one communication via private message as well as chat and data transfer, including file...
(IRC) client for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
mIRC
MIRC
mIRC is an Internet Relay Chat client for Microsoft Windows, created in 1995 and developed by Khaled Mardam-Bey. Although it is a fully functional chat utility, its integrated scripting language makes it extensible and versatile....
.
mIRC
Khaled began developing the software in late 1994, and released its first version on February 28, 1995.Khaled decided to create mIRC
MIRC
mIRC is an Internet Relay Chat client for Microsoft Windows, created in 1995 and developed by Khaled Mardam-Bey. Although it is a fully functional chat utility, its integrated scripting language makes it extensible and versatile....
because he found the first IRC client for Windows, WinIRC, lacked some basic IRC features. Then he continued developing it due to the challenge and the fact that people appreciated his work.
mIRC became very popular, having been downloaded almost 21 million times from CNET's download.com
Download.com
Download.com is an Internet download directory website, launched in 1996 as a part of CNET. Originally, the domain was download.com.com. The domain download.com attracted at least 113 million visitors annually by 2008 according to a Compete.com study....
service as of January 2011. Nielsen Net Rankings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
also ranked mIRC among the top 10 most popular Internet applications in 2003.
Through the years Khaled kept on developing the software by itself himself, occasionally posting the beta versions of mIRC in order to have users test them for software bug
Software bug
A software bug is the common term used to describe an error, flaw, mistake, failure, or fault in a computer program or system that produces an incorrect or unexpected result, or causes it to behave in unintended ways. Most bugs arise from mistakes and errors made by people in either a program's...
s.
Khaled initially developed mIRC as a hobby
Hobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
and used to disribute it as a Freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
. Later, as mIRC became very popular and after Khaled realized he needed to devote more time to develop it, he decided to change the software license in order to make a living from developing it. Consequently, since 2004, Khaled distributed the software with an uncrippled evaluation license
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
which after a 30-day evaluation period employs a nag screen that pops up on startup which urge the users to register so as to support the further development of mIRC. This nag screen can be removed by registering the program for $20. As a result, since then Khaled's main work is developing mIRC.
Private life
He was born in 1968 in AmmanAmman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, to a Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n father and a Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
mother.
Before developing mIRC, Khaled studied for a master's degree in Cognitive Science
Cognitive science
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
at the University of Westminster.
Khaled stated on his homepage that he had just started to work on his thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
when he decided to write a small IRC client. It eventually became so popular that he decided to give up his studies and commit himself to his work on mIRC.
During the 2000s Khaled visited the Palestinian Authority to complete his master's research in environmental sciences.
Khaled is vegetarian, for moral and health reasons.
Khaled currently resides in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.