Hi.

So I don't see any big difference, practically speaking, from IRC. Except, of course, with ICQ you and your friends must have authorized each other previously. Which may be annoying to many, but I find very important and useful.

This is exactly where our opinions defer: You prefer the closed-user-group type chat that ICQ provides, I prefer the open-to-all type chat IRC provides. I didn't find any way to effectively join a group of people on ICQ without knowing any of the members beforehand. Don't get me wrong: I used to utilize ICQ alot some time ago (and probably will do so again some day in the near future), and it is absolutely great for its purpose. IRC, however, also has its pros. Namely its openness: You can join a group by topic instead of by person like on ICQ.
If two empeg enthusiasts (that do not yet know any off the older ones, but happen to stumble over these UEBBS pages) want to join a realtime chat about the empeg, there are basically these situations that are possible, if noone else with this interest is currently online:
ICQ: They both find some ICQ numbers on these pages, add one or more of them to their buddy-List, but noone is online currently, so they are not approved and find noone to chat with. They have to wait until the get approved by someone and more importantly, they have to join the very same chat.
IRC: They find an IRC server from the list that was referenced somewhere on this BBS and join the channel mentioned in that particular post. Bingo, two enthusiasts meet each other without any big problem.
IRC has disadvantages though: There are many IRC networks, but only one ICQ network, so if you know who you are trying to contact, ICQ is probably better. IRC is open to all, so it is also open to hostile people, like spammers and script kiddies. ICQ is closed, but this might also lock friendly people out. ICQ has some, too. ICQ only works if you know whom to contact. IRC works if you know what you want to talk about. ICQ also allows multiple chats on the same topic, even by the same people. How are you about to find a chat that is already open? Let's say A,B,C,D and E are in each others buddy list and all enjoy chatting about the empeg. Now A,B and C are online and invoke a multi-person chat. While that chat is open, D and E go online. E contacts D to ask him if a chat is currently open. As D doesn't know about the chat A,B and C invoked, he simply invokes one with E. We now have two chats about the empeg instead of a single one with all five in it.

Well, we could discuss this topic for years, and would still be discussing the same pros and cons of ICQ and IRC as we did to date. I like ICQ because it can notify you if someone gets online, without a need to keep a window open and in sight. but I like chatting on IRC a lot more, because new people can join without much hassle.

cu,
sven

proud MkII owner (12GB blue/green/smoked, #080000113)