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+With the [IRCv3](https://ircv3.net/) advances and modern software, IRC is a surprisingly nice chat/IM medium, although a bit complex to set up nicely.
+
+I use:
+
+* [Soju](https://soju.im/) as a bouncer.
+IRC basically only supports "synchronous" communication.
+If your IRC client disconnects from a chat (because you turn off your computer, for example), then you lose the messages in your chats.
+A bouncer is a persistent IRC client that you run on a 24/7 computer that connects to your IRC chats for you, then you connect a client to the bouncer.
+This way, the bouncer captures all messages and you can view them right after connecting a client.
+This achieves the "scrollback" that conventional chat clients provide.
+Soju also uses modern extensions to make the IRC experience simpler.
+
+* [Bitlbee](https://www.bitlbee.org) as a bridge to Telegram.
+Bitlbee connects traditional IM networks, such as XMPP to IRC.
+There are plugins for many IM systems, including Whatsapp.
+However, Whatsapp does not have a "supported API", so I am wary to use anything else than official clients.
+But with Telegram, I can integrate IRC with it.
+
+* [Senpai](https://git.sr.ht/~taiite/senpai) is a modern terminal IRC client that is "Soju-aware".
+
+* [Goguma](https://sr.ht/~emersion/goguma/) is a Flutter/Android IRC client that is also "Soju-aware".
+
+With this setup, I can:
+
+* Connect to IRC chats in a friendly manner with modern comforts.
+* Use Telegram from a terminal, avoiding many things I don't like about the Telegram clients (everything is janky, esp. scroll and search. Also information density is terribly low).
+* Access this setup via SSH, so I can use it on "foreign" computers.
+
+# Set up
+
+My [workstation container image](workstation/setup.py) includes Soju, Bitlbee, and the Telegram/Bitlbee adapter.
+I have Python scripts that configure [soju](scripts/p7s/soju.py) and [Bitlbee](scripts/p7s/bitlbee.py) as persistent systemd services running as containers.
+
+The container image also includes Senpai, which I run using [distrobox](https://distrobox.it/).
+
+I install Goguma on my phone using [F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/).
+
+After connecting Senpai to Soju, you talk to a bot called `BouncerServ` to connect to your IRC networks, including the "virtual" IRC network that Bitlbee uses.
+When you join/part channels in any client, Soju takes care of making those actions permanent.
+
+You message a special channel in Bitlbee to create "accounts" that connect to IM networks such as Telegram.
+
+# Possible improvements
+
+[Gamja](https://sr.ht/~emersion/gamja/) is another "Soju-aware" IRC client that provides a web interface.
+Gamja and Goguma even support OAuth for authentication.
+
+Right now I run Soju on a private network, so I cannot access it outside my VPN.
+For this reason, I use trivial passwords and plain-text protocols.
+For convenience (using Goguma on random networks without connecting to the VPN), I should set up TLS and proper authentication.