I work in technology, i have done online community work since 1991, and I heartily loathe IRC, for all the reasons Sarah mentions. Hear, hear.<span></span><div><br></div><div>Paula</div><div><br><br>On Thursday, September 6, 2012, Sarah Stierch  wrote:<br>
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    Hi Lori! See my responses inline, as well. <br>
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      <div><b>IRC</b></div>
      <div>An open chat platform used often by Wikipedians, but
        unfamiliar among most GLAM professionals. Arguments can be made
        for and against; so discuss away.</div>
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    IRC is terrible, archaic, and uncomfortable for the majority of
    people. This is 2012, not 1992. People are welcome to have an IRC
    GLAM US channel but I bet, the majority of the people using it are
    the same old people who use IRC now.  I think we should scrap any
    focus on IRC and communicate through social media, wiki, and mailing
    lists.  I figure, if people want to have me involved in something or
    have a question for me, they will send me an email, wiki me, or
    Tweet me - and not sit around and wait for me on IRC. <br>
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    We could always have an IRC office hours for GLAMWIKI but, again,
    that&#39;d be just a strict ubergeek thing and that&#39;s not inclusive of
    the broader GLAM community (and those of us Wikipedians who hate IRC
    because we stopped using it when BBSes disappeared). <br>
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    <div>-- <br>
      <strong>Sarah Stierch</strong><br>
      <strong><em>Wikimedia Foundation Community Fellow</em></strong><br>
      &gt;&gt;Mind the gap! Support Wikipedia women&#39;s outreach: <a href="https://donate.wikimedia.org/" target="_blank">donate today</a>&lt;&lt;</div>
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