I think I know what I miss most from IRC's heyday: that ability to discover (or make your own!) networks and channels on literally any topic imaginable and being able to talk about it at length with complete strangers.
Not just shitposting and memes either, but an actual exchange of ideas and real dialogue between people from all walks of life who have a common interest, or even between people of different or opposing interests.
Maybe what I miss most is just being able to have a real conversation with someone instead of feeling like I'm shouting to the wind all the time.
@faoluin I... definitely feel that, yeah. Social media encourages a lot of sharing either A) only things you think will look good to others or B) screaming into the void hoping -someone- out there will listen, often to no response. It doesn't resemble how people actually naturally talk to each other in the slightest and it kinda sucks, honestly - I'd gladly go back to IRC if more people used it/I didn't have to jump into totally unknown waters for a sense of community.
@faoluin Absolutely. People don't generally feel at liberty to talk about things they wouldn't out in the open because they feel watched (because plainly, they *are*) and character limits along with the format of it all actively dissuade things you'd see in a normal flow of conversation like quickly asking for clarification, asides that may or may not lead to changes in topic, etc.
The whole thing in general just actively encourages distrust of others, really.
@Thaminga Modern social media is very faceless, impersonal, and shallow. It's a suitable medium for announcements or things like news headlines, or *maybe* blog posts. But it just isn't conducive to lengthy discussions, or even simple exchanges like what we're having now.