1988 founded Standing
protocols · irc.org
IRC
the moat is real
38 years 19 days and counting
Jarkko Oikarinen, August 1988, Finland. Still the place where some of the actual work happens.
Why it lasted
- It is a protocol, not a company, so there is no acquisition to survive.
- Every chat app that replaced it eventually needed a 'go back to IRC' crowd for the rooms that matter.
- Freenode exploding in 2021 just moved the same people to Libera. The protocol shrugged.
Times it almost ended
- AIM, MSN, Slack, Discord: each one was the death of IRC in a press cycle.
- The Freenode hostile takeover was the closest the network came to a real funeral. Libera was up the same week.
What would finish it
- A federated chat that is as simple to self-host and as boringly reliable. Matrix is trying. The old rooms are still on IRC.
Questions
Is IRC still up?
Yes, with a Standing verdict: the moat is real. Founded 1988.
How long has IRC been around?
IRC has been up since 1988-08-01.
Why did IRC survive?
It is a protocol, not a company, so there is no acquisition to survive.
Could IRC still die?
A federated chat that is as simple to self-host and as boringly reliable. Matrix is trying. The old rooms are still on IRC.