Register a user name on freenode
TylerAfter using freenode enough times, I decided to register my nick name. Here's how I did it.
/connect chat.freenode.net
/nick nickname
Replace nickname with your desired nickname.
/msg nickserv register [password] [email address]
Replace your email address and password with the values you choose.
You should immediately receive a verification email. Copy the code provided in the email to your irc client.
To log in simply type:
/msg nickserv identify [account name] [password]