If you are #blind and still use #irc there's a new adispeak release for you! This one includes the latest adiirc beta, with the fixed and fully accessible settings and server list. It also includes sounds thanks to @FreakyFwoof. If you've never heard of adispeak, it's a script to make adiirc read out IRC messages, in the spirit of sjams or mircspeech, but supporting #NVDA, and based on a more modern IRC client. Get it at: github.com/fastfinge/adispeak/releases/tag/v_0.4#a11y#accessibility#screenreader
@bermudianbrit@FreakyFwoof And modern IRC servers have stuff like nickserv built in, and you can give your username and password to a modern client, so no more /msg nickserv identify nonsense.
@bermudianbrit@FreakyFwoof Also, modern IRC servers are super cheap to run. Like a raspberry pi can support around 10,000 clients. So there's no more point in multi-server networks and netsplits and all that nonsense. Anyone who wants to can just run a server for there community. And IRC fully supports SSL/TLS these days. Goguma is the best IOS client if you want that. I've tested, and at least on irc.rblind.com, push notifications are fully working.
@bermudianbrit@FreakyFwoof The only thing missing is fully E2E private messages. The server owner could still, in theory, read your private messages. But the IRCV3 people are working on an encryption standard based on Signal to fix that. But IRCV3 even has full unicode and utf-8 support these days. And message reactions. And multiline messages. And typing indicators. IMHO IRC has a bright future if discord keeps shooting itself in the face.
@fastfinge@FreakyFwoof bloody hell that's awesome. Discord was already getting suspect for me when it tried to oust a lot of kinky stuff a year or 2 back, so this is very cool
@bermudianbrit@FreakyFwoof The other big thing IRC is missing is a decent interface for moderators. Like you still have to use slash commands and k-lines and stuff. There's no missing functionality, just missing interfaces. The server I use (called ergo) even supports requiring email verification if I want that. So no more getting around a ban with a VPN or whatever. It's just a pain in the ass for ops who have to learn the commands. But I'm sure that'll eventually get fixed.
