This is the way. I agree that joining a server, everything in it should be muted by default. Or at least, there should be some global option you can set to mute

This is the way. I agree that joining a server, everything in it should be muted by default. Or at least, there should be some global option you can set to mute all channels in a newly joined server by default. The way I manage Discord is: 1) Join as few servers as possible. There are even some servers I will join, chat, and leave. Customer support servers are a common case for that. 2) 99% of servers you join total mute. Only go to them when there is an intentional reason to go to them. 3) There are maybe 1 or 2 servers that are "my home". The close friends Discord. The Discord server that I run. Places like that. Even in those places I mute the channels I don't regularly participate in. In the end, even though I am in 15ish servers, I only have 15ish unmuted channels that have any significant amount of activity. It's not any different than having irssi open with 15 channels across the bottom. Hardly unmanageable.