When AthenaIRC was realized, the original plan was to create an IRC client which could remain simple and pure. A client allowed the user to do exactly what IRC was intended for... Chat. I deliberately left out all the pretty glitz and glamour of clients like Ircle, but gave a much more useful interface then ShadowIRC. Now three years later I have failed at that goal. AthenaIRC has been bloated to a point where it can no longer serve this goal. I have found myself using the open source Epic command line client not because it was better, but because it was simpler.

Thus, I have begun anew for AthenaIRC 3.0. My first step in cleansing AthenaIRC was to make it Mac OS X only, removing all the old classic code. Much like a dead limb hanging from a wounded soldier, Mac OS Classic kept dragging me down, getting snagged on programming rocks and branches. Regularly I would add a new feature and hit a dead end while trying to make it work on Mac OS Classic. Now I can move forward using OSX specific functions to make innovations previously not possible such as drawers and customizable toolbars.

I didn't stop there in my modifications. I have gutted the client, removing the old single client connection which constantly served as a hinderance, a thorn in the side of the project. The entire structure of the program has been changed, focused around the MiniConnection system. By changing the focal point I was able to rectify most, if not all, of the problems that MiniConnections suffered from. I reworked the connection settings box, and centralized the available connections, making it possible for settings changes to take immediate effect on all open connection windows. It's no longer necessary to close a connection window just to change servers (however you can't change presets yet).

AthenaIRC 2.0 added the ability to define the format of channel text. This made huge steps in IRC client innovation on the mac, but the way the system was designed made it difficult to add other messages. So I tore the old system out and reworked it from the ground up. You the user now have the ability to modify the layout of virtually every message the client displays.

These are just some of the numerous changes that have been made to AthenaIRC for the 3.0 release. However, having made all these modifications, it is simply not the same program any more. AthenaIRC can no longer be called AthenaIRC, so a new name had to be found.

As most people are aware, AthenaIRC is named after the Greek goddess of wisdom. When Rome became the dominant world power, it brought great advancement and civilization. This was achieved not by crushing the conquered land's beliefs, but by embracing them. One of the many elements it took from the Greeks were their religious beliefs. But of course they could not keep the same names, so all the Grecian gods were given Roman names. Athena became known as Minerva. She was still the same god to the people, but they had to follow her by a new name. So, henceforth, AthenaIRC shall now be known as Minerva. Please accept her with open arms and open minds.