Like any means of communication, there are both positive and negative aspects to using Internet Relay Chat. One advantage is the fact that it is a form of information exchange that takes place in fractions of seconds, in almost real time. In this fast-paced world, technologies like IRC are needed to stay abreast of developments. However, therein also lies a disadvantage. Nowadays, there are numerous other responsive communication channels and Internet forums that can be used. For this reason, the number of IRC users has also declined sharply since the beginning of the 21st century.
The next aspect revolves around the massive number of servers that make up IRC networks, thus opening up many possible routes into IRC from almost anywhere in the world. Having a variety of options is something positive at first, but this large number of servers and connections can result in so-called netsplits, i.e. connection interruptions due to a network split. You should choose an IRC server that is located near you as they only allow a limited number of connections that are located outside their domain. So, the freedom of choice is not as free as it may seem at first if you are aiming for the best possible IRC connection.
Worldwide communication and linking numerous people, also sounds like an advantage of IRC at first. This is because you get the full range of personalities and topics of conversation. IRC can serve both to establish and strengthen social contacts. However, this diversity and the fact that anyone can use IRC anonymously, of course, has a negative side. It is not uncommon for guidelines to be broken and negativity to be spread.
IRC is also not safe from criminal activities. New users who are still finding their way around are especially susceptible to falling victim to criminal activities. For example, while the direct client-to-client feature of IRC is a handy tool that allows two users to easily send data to each other, this exchange can also have negative consequences. This is because other users could also send you files that transfer malware when they are opened and steal important information such as passwords. So, exercise caution when exchanging data – especially if it's an unencrypted connection.
However, in addition to this downside, we must not forget how many people receive support via IRC every day. For example, channels that revolve around technological topics particularly are a great help in finding a quick solution to a problem. If you post a question to an IRC, you will not only receive one answer in the large channels but numerous perspectives at once. And you can also discover questions from other users that you may not have thought of yourself.
The disadvantage here is the clutter that comes about due to a combination of a wide variety of conversations and notifications in the chat window. After all, the IRC is essentially nothing more than a room filled with numerous individuals talking and wanting to have their say.
However, there are corners of the IRC where it is not so easy to lose track of what is going on in the chat. There are enough less frequented channels, and as an administrator you even have the possibility to create private chat rooms that users can only access by invitation. This also makes IRC a good communication channel for private and professional groups that want to keep to themselves.