IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is a text-based chat protocol created in 1988. it predates the web, Slack, Discord, and every other chat platform you've used. it still works, and people still use it every day.
IRC is decentralized. there is no single company running it. instead, there are independent networks -- groups of servers that talk to each other. you connect to a network, join channels (chat rooms that start with #), and talk to people.
IRC is ephemeral by default. when you disconnect, you miss messages. your nick disappears from the channel. you lose your scrollback.
that is the problem irc.now solves. a bouncer stays connected for you, stores messages, and replays them when you come back. you get the simplicity of IRC with the persistence of modern chat.
sign up for irc.now, create a bouncer, and connect. we handle the infrastructure so you can just chat.