But power users are a very small minority also, nobody argues that IRC should disappear but is still not a replacement for most other messaging platforms. I to

But power users are a very small minority also, nobody argues that IRC should disappear but is still not a replacement for most other messaging platforms. I too would have liked an open protocol in principle, but looking at emails I am not sure it would have been a good thing. (As in eternal backwards compatibility and unchangeable architectural choices that might not suit a very different future use)