[LambdaComplex]

You can always run your own IRC server. If Discord shuts down, then you're out of luck.

[neom]

Indeed. Discord have really nailed the... ircd, if you will, for what I use discord for (community building in non-technical abstract user bases), it's perfect, terrifying, but perfect.

[immibis]

You can run your own Revolt, Mattermost, or Rocket Chat server, which is basically Discord.

[sneak]

If you believe this you haven’t used Discord very much.

[Nextgrid]

You are right, neither of his proposed alternatives start you out with a sea of blinking shit and distractions all over your screen.

[johnisgood]

and Zulip. But they do not support video and audio calls, for one.