If you are getting the error with the red X, it most likely means you're having an issue with your Java installation. I suggest you attempt a reinstall and see if that fixes it. It is not an issue with the site, and definitely not an issue with the IRC Network.
kbfail.net is up and running, and both servers are accepting connections. To those who are having issues, make SURE you are connecting to "irc.kbfail.net" - exactly as it is. (without quotes) There is no dash or anything like that, and we are no longer affiliated with Windfyre in any way, so going to irc.windfyre.net will not take you to the chatroom. If that doesn't fix it, I suggest you check your connection and make sure there is nothing wrong with it, and that you can connect to other servers on port 6667. (That is the default IRC port.)