I use sdf.org. There is a chat system that covers the same kinds of things that irc covers. It is less chaotic than irc, and definitely has old fashioned vibes

I use sdf.org. There is a chat system that covers the same kinds of things that irc covers. It is less chaotic than irc, and definitely has old fashioned vibes (it even has a lot of gopher!). Nntp is still an ugly mess though. More spam than I've ever seen before.