want to use irc? something people often don’t like is losing chat history. if your server/network doesn’t implement draft/chathistory (a IRCv3 extension), you must use a “IRC bouncer” (an application that you host and stays connected for you 24/7).
that said, it is good practice to use a bouncer anyways (unless you don’t mind and only want to be connected when you are around [even tho /away exists]). you can re-use the same connection/nick for your computer(s), phone, etc.

here are some recommended self-hostable clients that double as a “bouncer”:

• the lounge (supports a few nice things such as link embeds/file upload/etc. cons is that it’s a web application-only with no external client support.)
• quassel (you self-host a “core”, and use clients to connect to it - with multiple available for different devices)
• weechat (this is a TUI client, and a good one! but it can also double as a “server” for some clients such as weechat-android, so you can keep your connections on-the-go)

special mention to irccloud - proprietary, centralized, logs unencrypted, might not be your cup of tea, but it’s an easy way to get into irc. doubles as bouncer/client, file uploads, embeds for SOME websites (mostly socials, including fedi). free for 2 networks/disconnects you after 24 hours of inactivity, $6/mo otherwise.

for bouncers specifically (bring-your-own-client):

• soju (a “modern” bouncer. good if your client enjoys the new ircv3 funsies)
• ZNC (the good ol’. works well enough even until today)

@nay avoid irccloud at all costs. they are NOT a good company.

@craftxbox why’s that? any particular experiences?

@nay If i recall correctly in 2020 they were exposed for intentionally leaking user data to certain ircops

@nay the problem with #IRC bouncers is that hosters hate that even more than @torproject / #Tor *and #Cryptocurrency #mining or any #Cryptojacking & #malware.

• As in: Many will literally fire customers just for using Port 6667 and/or 6697…

• The same Hosters have no issues with people mining #Shitcoins that'll flood their Network and burn through NVMe-SSDs like #Solana or people running #ExitNodes from their Network!

The only thing that (tho deservedly!) gets them to cancel VPSes is hosting CSAM…

@craftxbox i haven’t certainly ever heard about that case either so i’m not sure; i know some irc ops avoid using it to avoid any risk, but not because it has happened

and yes, some cases have happened re. failures and leaks such as https://blog.irccloud.com/july-2020-log-exposure/ - that’s also a downside; logs are effectively not encrypted and permanently stored on their servers (unless you delete them), so also something to keep in mind

@nay I'd rather use chat.sr.ht if I was paying for an IRC bouncer than IRCCloud. It's free software (soju + gamja) and $2/month cheaper than IRCCloud (or free if you can't afford it and apply for financial support, or for some reason free for me (I think because I requested an account to test it before it was open for all sourcehut users))

@noisytoot TIL this is a thing

@kkarhan i’d just not use any hosting providers that prohibit IRC in this decade, there are many options in the market that don’t have legacy AUPs from the days it was a risk because “oh it’s a DDoS magnet” (which is usually the whole reasoning as of why it was banned to begin with)

edited to add better wording/clarity, i wrote this while i was half-asleep

i have been seeing fedi creatures commenting about clients but not so much about bouncers which is what made my experience actually enjoyable, so i feel they deserve a mention

@nay technically bouncers aren’t required to stay connected 24/7, if you only use one device with a reliable internet connection that you never shut down you can just never close your client

@noisytoot sure, but it’s a matter of convenience. because that implies only being able to chat on your computer, and leaving it on 24/7 (or running irssi/weechat on tmux on a VPS i guess)

@nay same.

Funnily the same providers already disqualified themselves due to being subject to #CloudAct so that's not a problem for me either.

• If I wanted to I'd rather self-host on-premise, cuz then fucking around my stuff needs a break-in.

Personally, I think that the non-permanence of #IRC is a feature, not a bug!

• And I think peoole should embrace it for that…

  • For "asynchronous communication", there are better tools out there.