I'm one of the people that still uses IRC frequently. The biggest problem that I saw over the years was just the rise of other platforms and fewer new users taking the place of the old school users that were moving elsewhere.
The ban evading trolls and constant net splits caused by frequent DDoS attacks were a problem. ISPs stopped hosting IRC servers because as soon as a server would come up, it would be a huge DDoS target. Then the overbearing fear of "illegal material" flowing across the pipes was a problem for others.
But I'm glad that it's still around. One channel in particular I live in has been around for 15+ years now. It's like a digital version of Cheers, without avatars.
The ban evading trolls and constant net splits caused by frequent DDoS attacks were a problem. ISPs stopped hosting IRC servers because as soon as a server would come up, it would be a huge DDoS target. Then the overbearing fear of "illegal material" flowing across the pipes was a problem for others.
But I'm glad that it's still around. One channel in particular I live in has been around for 15+ years now. It's like a digital version of Cheers, without avatars.