Why was it necessary to move from a free chat to one you are forced to sign up/register to?
What was wrong with the old-fashioned but simple IRC channel?

there is nothing wrong with IRC but it has been withering away for years now. We got more active users now again thanks to the move to discord.
Other than that i'd say that discord is the first viable successor to IRC because it runs fairly well and has much more functionality especially the fact that it works well on phones really helps.

Besides, with IRC, you never get to see any messages that were posted while you weren't connected, unless you set up a remote server for IRC which is constantly connected, and use IRC there via SSH or something. Pretty ridiculous to go through all that in fugging 2018. Discord has lots of very useful and convenient features, and having to register there isn't exactly a major hassle either. With IRC, you'll end up wanting to register anyway, if you don't want anyone stealing your nick.

Discord is particularly useful for stuff related to running the site (staff and site work channels) because everyone there has a complete log of everything said. IRC gets to be a mess when we're on different schedules around the world and juggling home/work/mobile IRC clients. It's much easier to use a centralized chat, which you can make look like IRC, anyway.

That's not true..
Maybe if you have lack of imagination and choose a nickname which people choose like a dozen times..
I have used IRC for almost a decade for a game I used to play, I never registered and I never had any (real) problems keeping the same nickname.





There's an IRC client for smartphones too..
It's called AndroIRC..



Nevertheless..
I just think it makes the chat a tad less accessible for those who refuse to signup to everything..
There are still people who don't like don't want to post their email, phonenumber, and personal info on every app, site or program.
Me being one of them..

I'm a tad disappointed about it..

IRC is just multiplayer notepad and Discord is superior in every conceivable way. Personally, my chatting with the rest of the mods and mingling with the regulars outside of the also-deteriorating forum has skyrocketed since the move, and I've even seen regulars in the chat start posting here more often as well. It's proven healthy for the community. If entering your email in order to chat is enough to keep you away from the community, then well... sorry?

Nothing stops you from registering to Discord with some anonymous email anyway?

Well, I don't suppose there are people are lining up to steal yours, at least.

But you don't have to register to use Discord...

Then I suggest guerrillamail

The IRC is still around. You could log in if you wanted to. Just don't expect it to be too lively.