Getting info on a user
To get info on a user, use the /whois or /who command. Those 2 commands then require a nickname as parameter. /whois is more verbose than /who. But /who may also be used on a whole channel ("/who #channel" or simply "/who *" for your current channel).
In some GUI-based clients, click twice on a nickname in the appropriate panel to automatically do a /whois.
Getting info on a server
You are advised to read the Message Of The Day of the servers you connect to : it will give you the rules to follow while using those servers. The MOTD is displayed when you connect but may be read again by typing /motd.
If you want to get administrative info about a server, to file a complaint for instance, use the /admin command, which will give you the address to email to or the person to look for on IRC.
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