The Future of #GNNCHAT
I’m writing this essay because this seems like a good time for it. It’s become a running source of humor when Rohan points out the poor attendance. Yet there is much truth to what his lament. Attendance is down, fewer people in the channel, spending less time there. Why is this happening?
Well, people get real lives. This can’t be avoided and we have weathered that in the past. But one of our problems may be new recruits. There is some question as to whether irc will survive, long term. More and more people are migrating to icq and various web-based chat systems. Will we be dinosaurs, clinging to our comfortable system, while new users go to other places?
I have always thought of our channel as a neighborhood bar, where you could go any night of the week and see your friends. The analogy may have its downside, as neighborhood watering holes often get very popular, then end up petering out. Regulars keep it going, but then drift off. Then they decide they want to visit, and are surprised to see no one there.
So what I’m saying is, it’s great to see the old-timers when you visit a couple of times a year, but if you don’t start coming in more often, we may have moved on.
That was a short rant, wasn’t it?