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Main problem with IRC is that it's not "always on" and I really need this feature. Sure you can use IRCCloud or SSH/Screen into a server, but they both cost money while Slack is free.
- The Slack client is an improvement over IRC ones. I don't remember free IRC clients (GUI) for Mac OS or Windows (there's Pidgin, but still...) - File transfers and snippets are not so essential, but they make working simpler - You can connect to slack using IRC or XMPP https://slack.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201727913-Connec...
Competitors want to reach out to such communities and vendor lock-in them. Nothing new, had been tried before with MSN Messenger, AIM, Skype videochat, etc. though IRC will hopefully stay about such waves and fades - it's a rather simple protocol, has a good file transfer mechanism and thousands of native, it cannot be censored (words filtered) and web clients for every platform and needs (incl bots).
IRC is also my preferred protocol for realtime messaging, for the reasons mentioned in the article and also the fact that it's extremely simple - you can even use it with nothing more than a network terminal like netcat. My second preference would be the older versions of MSNP (before they started stuffing XML into everything...)
We have learned absolutely nothing. Let's all jump on the bandwagon of another closed-source, proprietary, walled-garden service and hand over all of our private intra-company communications to a private third-party in another country. GREAT IDEA.
Isn't another huge thing that Slack solves the need to set up a local client? Why is that not addressed in this article, I wonder if the author really doesn't see it as a problem?
There are lots of web-based IRC clients out there
Main problem with IRC is that it's not "always on" and I really need this feature. Sure you can use IRCCloud or SSH/Screen into a server, but they both cost money while Slack is free.
How is Slack free? You have to pay per user or apply for an exemption if you are a non-profit. IRCCloud is free by default and you only pay to unlock some extra features. https://slack.com/pricing https://www.irccloud.com/pricing
> Problems with IRC that Slack solves Main thing that Slack solves as far as I'm concerned is a great and uniform client on every platform. Don't get me wrong, I love irc. This is where I started learning everything I know about computer. I tried many times to get various team on it and it always failed. I think it's mainly because the learning curve is too big for non-technical/busy people, and that there's no good…
Really? Does using Slack not require opening a client application and logging in, like just about every other realtime messaging platform?
I know many "non-technical" people who use IRC.