[pexaizix]

Nickserv identify can be encrypted from your client to the services server if the network supports it. (SSL between you and all servers)

No channel history, no threads, and no images are features.

There's formatting: bold/italic/underline and colours.

[IshKebab]

How is no channel history a feature? I think if you take a look at your reasoning you'll see that you are just defending IRC because you like it. Which is fine, but it is intellectually dishonest to pretend that flaws are not flaws.