IRC Chat getting out of control?

[Pokol DaErran]

I've been noticing something.
Several people (read: everyone but Blizzard, me, and a few noobs) are beginning to do the IRC Chat to the exclusion of everything else.  I've seen several situations where they only log on to make their existience in IRC Chat known, and even though they should be on the board index, they miss obvious questions directed at them.  I'm beginning to think that the chat is killing the actual forum.  (Slowly, though)  Of course, we have the right to chat, I just want to bring this issue to your attention and see what you think about it.  Is there a serious threat, or do I just worry too much?
Make your opinion known.

[Blizzard]

The IRC chat is empty 70% of the time. Whenever I go on during the day, it's dead. That bit activity in IRC in the last 2-3 days is nothing compared to earlier when the forum was more active as well. You're likely not to know because you're new.

[Diokatsu]

I was pushing for IRC for a while. It's better than a spammed up shout box.... and IRC beats Blizz lassoing up all of us on msn messenger for giant group chats that make my computer lag like poo. And IRC is dead compared to my other rooms I go on...People on at 2:00AM(for me anyways) talking about how google chrome will kill the internet

[Starrodkirby86]

IRC is not overrunning the forum. Pokol, you clearly haven't seen an active IRC, something around 4chan, SPP, or some other IRC channel with a gazillion of people. Whenever Blizzard is on there's a lot of discussion (At least when there's active people that notice Blizzard being on). Besides, IRC is a method of communication outside the forum.

As shdwlink said, half of what happens is on the forum, the other half is from communication in IRC or messengers.

[Blizzard]

I actually doubled the activity by adding the IRC channel. Forum activit hasn't dropped ever since but increased instead. During the week I was gone there was a new activity record. There were many new posts and many views of the forum WITHOUT me.

[Diokatsu]

IRC is a great way to keep in touch. You don't need an IM client or account just a web browser...Which you should have xD

IRC is worht some lack of activity if it had happened anyways.

[Pokol DaErran]

IRC is not overrunning the forum. Pokol, you clearly haven't seen an active IRC, something around 4chan, SPP, or some other IRC channel with a gazillion of people. Whenever Blizzard is on there's a lot of discussion (At least when there's active people that notice Blizzard being on). Besides, IRC is a method of communication outside the forum.

As shdwlink said, half of what happens is on the forum, the other half is from communication in IRC or messengers.

So what you're saying is...
Blizzard is herding you to him with subliminal messages? XD
Things don't seem as fast here to me since IRC chat came on, but maybe it's just my imagination...
Guess I'll go onto IRC Chat to drive everyone off of it.

[Blizzard]

True, IRC is faster, but all the conversations get lost as well. On the forum they stay for others to read, even months and years later.

[Diokatsu]

Not necessarily....My chats all get logged

[DeathLock]

I disagree with everything you mentioned in the first post, the chat was a way to bring the community together even more.

All my IRC chats get logged as well.

[Pokol DaErran]

True, IRC is faster, but all the conversations get lost as well. On the forum they stay for others to read, even months and years later.

So, the awesome people like you see why the forum has its pluses over chat.  Maybe the noobs are just giving me the wrong impression... I'm going to lock this now, and maybe open it again if the chat noobs ever start to overrun the forum,  (That means you, rwed2.)and make a mental note to make sure sudden trends haven't been going on for a while.
*Locks*