I think that an IRC-first future with the option of Matrix for those with a distaste for IRC is the best path forward, but I wouldn’t mind going Matrix-first as long as an option for IRC still exists.
I think that for most “work-related” or “official” channels like #fedora-devel we do need to have bridging setup. But for more user-level interactions, like generic chat for socializing and support we can have Matrix channel without its IRC part. Thus I like the idea of a “Lobby” or “Welcome” area as Matthew described here: Matrix server channel setup - #7 by mattdm
I would also consider not bridging #fedora channel from IRC to Matrix as it is a high-traffic communication without shared context and it might benefit from horizontal scaling.
I wrote up my thoughts on Matrix vs IRC and bridging in the Libravatar-Fans mailing list: Re: Moving on from Freenode : Mailing list archive : libravatar-fans team in Launchpad
I’ll paste it below:
Personally, I don’t have a big problem with either since both are open platforms with some degree of federation; I use both daily through WeeChat and Gomuks. However, I do have a preference for IRC for a number of reasons:
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Given that so many other projects are on IRC, it makes sense to not require people to use a different client just for a few select communities.
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Many people, including myself, prefer TUI clients to graphical ones. Right now, the only TUI Matrix client that isn’t missing essential features is Gomuks. While Gomuks development seems to be progressing well, I wouldn’t say it’s a replacement for other graphical clients yet.
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Issues with Matrix itself: I described these in a bit more detail in a blog post, “Keeping Platforms Open”. Keeping platforms open - Seirdy.
Regarding features in Matrix that aren’t present in IRC:
Long-form and long-term discussion already happens in a mailing list, which is well-suited for the task; I’m not aware of any other open platform that allows nested discussion threads delimited by subject. Given the existence of a mailing list, I think a chat platform should focus on a niche that isn’t covered by mailing lists: ephemeral, real-time chat with less structure.
If a discussion needs marked replies and searchable history, it’s probably better off happening in a mailing list. Given that these features aren’t especially valuable given the existence of a mailing list, I’d say that IRC should fit the bill.
Honestly, I don’t think a Matrix-IRC bridge hurts the Matrix experience too much since join/leave events can simply be filtered out from most clients. Most of the issues come from the perspective of IRC users, mainly long-form messages turning into pastebin links instead of being broken up. That being said, I find excessive pastebin links preferable to not having IRC support at all.