[Gracana]

> I know how to use IRC and how to connect with it.

> [...]

> - Figure out how to configure my client.

> - Figure out how to interact with the user account and moderation bots

I disagree with your initial claim. :P

Those are irc basics, things you only have to learn once, and there is documentation online and on the web. It's worth it to spend the time to learn a tool that you can use throughout your profession, even as the proprietary flavor-of-the-month services come and go.

[cls59]

That still ignores the existence of a huge usability problem. The investment of time may pay off in the long run, but IRC is large enough investment (and ongoing maintenance, ZNC doesn't just take care of its self forever) that people will take a route of less resistance when presented.

This all reminds of a few years ago when folks were banging on about how we needed to use Gitorious instead of GitHub for Open Source hosting. Gitorious is dead now and it wasn't until GitLab came along and recognized the usability problem that we got a viable Open Source alternative.