(keeping this separate to avoid cluttering the real faq)

Q: Why do I keep seeing people type "." ".." and "..." in IRC?

A: Blame [mbm] for starting that trend. It's actually an unwritten
(until now) code. The rough translation is as follows:

  "."
  I'm here / nothing to say / no comment

  ".."
  next topic / could we please talk about something else?

  "..."
  waiting / bored

Ultimately, typing anything not readily understood results in a mess
of other people typing random letters and nonsense to try to join in.
Encouraging them is not recommended.