Why People Still Use IRC in 2026

Let's be honest: IRC isn't where the crowds are anymore. Group chat in 2026 means Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Telegram. So why are there still people — us included — happily hanging out on a protocol that launched in 1988, the same year as the first computer worm?

Because for a certain kind of person, IRC still does things the big platforms can't. Here's the honest case.

Nobody owns it

IRC is an open protocol, not a product. No company can rebrand it, sell it, sunset it, or get acquired and shut your community down overnight. Networks like DALnet have run since 1994, and #Makati has outlived more "next big thing" chat apps than we can count. When the platform is the open standard, your community isn't a tenant on someone else's land.

No ads, no algorithm, no data mining

There's no feed deciding what you see, no "engagement" metrics, no ads slipped between messages, no profile quietly feeding a recommendation engine. It's just text, in order, from the people in the room. That simplicity feels almost radical now.

It's featherweight and runs anywhere

IRC sips bandwidth and barely touches your CPU. It works on a fast laptop, a ten-year-old netbook, a Raspberry Pi, or a spotty mobile connection. No 500 MB app, no account funnel — connect and you're chatting.

You actually own your setup

Pick any client you like. Run a bouncer (like ZNC) so you stay connected 24/7 and read what you missed. Write a script or a bot. Theme it, automate it, bend it to how you work. You're a user with control, not a "user" being optimized.

Smaller rooms, realer people

There are no follower counts or blue checks on IRC. Channels are smaller and tighter, and conversation isn't a performance for an audience. Plenty of friendships in #Makati have spanned decades — the kind of slow, durable community that engagement-driven apps rarely grow.

And it's quietly getting modern

IRC hasn't stood still. The IRCv3 effort has added contemporary niceties — message tags, server-side history, better mobile behavior — and the client lineup is genuinely good in 2026: mIRC on Windows, Textual on macOS, WeeChat in the terminal, slick web clients like KiwiIRC and The Lounge, and Goguma on mobile. You can literally chat in your browser in two clicks. And closer to home, we're building RAVEIRC — #Makati's own IRC client (coming soon).

The honest part: IRC is niche now. There are fewer people, the learning curve is real, and you won't find your high-school class here. But for those of us who stayed, that's kind of the point — it's calm, it's ours, and it's still the best place to just talk.

Curious? That's the whole reason this channel exists. Hop into #Makati on irc.dal.net and see what kept us here.