diff --git a/irc/commands.go b/irc/commands.go
index 3b74a7b..51e655b 100644
--- a/irc/commands.go
+++ b/irc/commands.go
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@ package irc
 // this file contains the various commands you can
 // send to the server using an Conn connection
 
-import (
-	"reflect"
-)
 
 // This could be a lot less ugly with the ability to manipulate
 // the symbol table and add methods/functions on the fly
@@ -30,8 +27,8 @@ func (conn *Conn) User(ident, name string) {
 func (conn *Conn) Join(channel string) { conn.out <- "JOIN "+channel }
 
 // Part() sends a PART command to the server with an optional part message
-func (conn *Conn) Part(channel string, message ...) {
-	msg := getStringMsg(message)
+func (conn *Conn) Part(channel string, message string) {
+	msg := message
 	if msg != "" {
 		msg = " :" + msg
 	}
@@ -39,8 +36,8 @@ func (conn *Conn) Part(channel string, message ...) {
 }
 
 // Kick() sends a KICK command to remove a nick from a channel
-func (conn *Conn) Kick(channel, nick string, message ...) {
-	msg := getStringMsg(message)
+func (conn *Conn) Kick(channel, nick string, message string) {
+	msg := message
 	if msg != "" {
 		msg = " :" + msg
 	}
@@ -48,8 +45,8 @@ func (conn *Conn) Kick(channel, nick string, message ...) {
 }
 
 // Quit() sends a QUIT command to the server with an optional quit message
-func (conn *Conn) Quit(message ...) {
-	msg := getStringMsg(message)
+func (conn *Conn) Quit(message string) {
+	msg := message
 	if msg == "" {
 		msg = "GoBye!"
 	}
@@ -70,8 +67,8 @@ func (conn *Conn) Notice(t, msg string) { conn.out <- "NOTICE "+t+" :"+msg }
 
 // Ctcp() sends a (generic) CTCP message to the target t
 // with an optional argument
-func (conn *Conn) Ctcp(t, ctcp string, arg ...) {
-	msg := getStringMsg(arg)
+func (conn *Conn) Ctcp(t, ctcp,arg string) {
+	msg := arg
 	if msg != "" {
 		msg = " " + msg
 	}
@@ -80,8 +77,8 @@ func (conn *Conn) Ctcp(t, ctcp string, arg ...) {
 
 // CtcpReply() sends a generic CTCP reply to the target t
 // with an optional argument
-func (conn *Conn) CtcpReply(t, ctcp string, arg ...) {
-	msg := getStringMsg(arg)
+func (conn *Conn) CtcpReply(t, ctcp string, arg string) {
+	msg := arg
 	if msg != "" {
 		msg = " " + msg
 	}
@@ -89,7 +86,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) CtcpReply(t, ctcp string, arg ...) {
 }
 
 // Version() sends a CTCP "VERSION" to the target t
-func (conn *Conn) Version(t string) { conn.Ctcp(t, "VERSION") }
+func (conn *Conn) Version(t string) { conn.Ctcp(t, "VERSION","") }
 
 // Action() sends a CTCP "ACTION" to the target t
 func (conn *Conn) Action(t, msg string) { conn.Ctcp(t, "ACTION", msg) }
@@ -97,8 +94,8 @@ func (conn *Conn) Action(t, msg string) { conn.Ctcp(t, "ACTION", msg) }
 // Topic() sends a TOPIC command to the channel
 //   Topic(channel) retrieves the current channel topic (see "332" handler)
 //   Topic(channel, topic) sets the topic for the channel
-func (conn *Conn) Topic(channel string, topic ...) {
-	t := getStringMsg(topic)
+func (conn *Conn) Topic(channel string, topic string) {
+	t := topic
 	if t != "" {
 		t = " :" + t
 	}
@@ -112,8 +109,8 @@ func (conn *Conn) Topic(channel string, topic ...) {
 //     modestring == e.g. "+o <nick>" or "+ntk <key>" or "-is"
 // This means you'll need to do your own mode work. It may be linked in with
 // the state tracking and ChanMode/NickMode/ChanPrivs objects later...
-func (conn *Conn) Mode(t string, modestring ...) {
-	mode := getStringMsg(modestring)
+func (conn *Conn) Mode(t string, modestring string) {
+	mode := modestring
 	if mode != "" {
 		mode = " " + mode
 	}
@@ -123,8 +120,8 @@ func (conn *Conn) Mode(t string, modestring ...) {
 // Away() sends an AWAY command to the server
 //   Away() resets away status
 //   Away(message) sets away with the given message
-func (conn *Conn) Away(message ...) {
-	msg := getStringMsg(message)
+func (conn *Conn) Away(message string) {
+	msg := message
 	if msg != "" {
 		msg = " :"+msg
 	}
@@ -141,16 +138,3 @@ func (conn *Conn) Oper(user, pass string) {
 	conn.out <- "OPER "+user+" "+pass
 }
 
-func getStringMsg(a ...) (msg string) {
-	// dealing with functions with a variable parameter list is nasteeh :-(
-	// the below stolen and munged from fmt/print.go func getString()
-	if v := reflect.NewValue(a).(*reflect.StructValue); v.NumField() > 0 {
-		if s, ok := v.Field(0).(*reflect.StringValue); ok {
-			return s.Get()
-		}
-		if b, ok := v.Interface().([]byte); ok {
-			return string(b)
-		}
-	}
-	return ""
-}
diff --git a/irc/connection.go b/irc/connection.go
index c3f71dc..d6aaf16 100644
--- a/irc/connection.go
+++ b/irc/connection.go
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) initialise() {
 // Connect the IRC connection object to "host[:port]" which should be either
 // a hostname or an IP address, with an optional port defaulting to 6667.
 // You can also provide an optional connect password.
-func (conn *Conn) Connect(host string, pass ...) os.Error {
+func (conn *Conn) Connect(host string, pass string) os.Error {
 	if conn.connected {
 		return os.NewError(fmt.Sprintf("irc.Connect(): already connected to %s, cannot connect to %s", conn.Host, host))
 	}
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ func (conn *Conn) Connect(host string, pass ...) os.Error {
 	go conn.recv()
 
 	// see getStringMsg() in commands.go for what this does
-	if p := getStringMsg(pass); p != "" {
-		conn.Pass(p)
+	if pass != "" {
+		conn.Pass(pass)
 	}
 	conn.Nick(conn.Me.Nick)
 	conn.User(conn.Me.Ident, conn.Me.Name)
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) Connect(host string, pass ...) os.Error {
 }
 
 // dispatch a nicely formatted os.Error to the error channel
-func (conn *Conn) error(s string, a ...) { conn.Err <- os.NewError(fmt.Sprintf(s, a)) }
+func (conn *Conn) error(s string, a ...interface{}) { conn.Err <- os.NewError(fmt.Sprintf(s, a)) }
 
 // copied from http.client for great justice
 func hasPort(s string) bool { return strings.LastIndex(s, ":") > strings.LastIndex(s, "]") }
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) send() {
 			// so sleep for the current line's time value before sending it
 			time.Sleep(linetime)
 		}
-		if err := conn.io.WriteString(line + "\r\n"); err != nil {
+		if _,err := conn.io.WriteString(line + "\r\n"); err != nil {
 			conn.error("irc.send(): %s", err.String())
 			conn.shutdown()
 			break
diff --git a/irc/handlers.go b/irc/handlers.go
index dec82fd..c04fd6d 100644
--- a/irc/handlers.go
+++ b/irc/handlers.go
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ func (conn *Conn) setupEvents() {
 			// since we don't know much about this channel, ask server for info
 			// we get the channel users automatically in 353 and the channel
 			// topic in 332 on join, so we just need to get the modes
-			conn.Mode(ch.Name)
+			conn.Mode(ch.Name,"")
 			// sending a WHO for the channel is MUCH more efficient than
 			// triggering a WHOIS on every nick from the 353 handler
 			conn.Who(ch.Name)