*note: this is not referring to the
java chatterbox, which most people don't use anyway.
- it's a different protocol
- it's not real time
- it's harder to have real relationships or hold real conversations via chatterbox.
- IRC is not persistent like the private messages are in chatterbox.
In other words, you never miss private messages in the chatterbox when you are not logged in. But, even when you are logged in, you can miss alot on the chatterbox, because you might reload and have a pile of stuff pass by and be gone since your last reload.
- You can't have everything links in IRC the same way.
The chatterbox lends itself to a different kind of community than IRC does. The chatterbox is a kind of 'I'm doing this while noding and just happen to be here saying inane stuff or nodevertising', while IRC is a, 'I'm in here to talk.' I can't do laundry and be a significant presence on IRC at the same time.
The chatterbox is like isolated people yelling to each other from opposite ends of a parking lot.
IRC is like people around a table in a restaurant holding conversations.
Does this make the chatterbox less important? No, but it does make it less personal.