Any company which goes to the lengths of setting up an IRC server would find it trivial to also set up a bouncer and search index for that server.
That said, these days a Matrix Synapse instance would be an easier choice.
That said, these days a Matrix Synapse instance would be an easier choice.
What money would it require? Any leftover PC from the last 15 years can run the server.
Also, at red hat, we’d complain to the whole company about paper towels vs air dryers in the bathrooms, so naturally the complaints about losing IRC would be expected! It’s refreshing to be at a place where I can make a decision without getting second guessed and derailed by someone totally unrelated to what I’m doing.