# Proposal: retire IRC **URL:** \ **Category:** Django Internals\ **Created:** [December 10, 2024, 11:57am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/proposal-retire-irc/37129 "2024-12-10T11:57:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sarahboyce](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/sarahboyce/32/12734_2.png) [@sarahboyce](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/sarahboyce)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 11:57am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/proposal-retire-irc/37129/1 "2024-12-10T11:57:38Z")
We mention #django IRC channels in the [Django docs](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.1/search/?q=irc) and in various places on the [Django website](https://www.djangoproject.com/) (such as in the footer, [coc page](https://www.djangoproject.com/conduct/), [coc faq page](https://www.djangoproject.com/conduct/faq/)). We also have a step in our Django release process ([see step 11](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.1/internals/howto-release-django/#making-the-release-s-available-to-the-public)) to update a topic in #django IRC. My experience of #django IRC is that it is very very quiet. I don’t think it should be so prominent in our docs/website as an official place for folks to go. I also don’t think it should be part of the process for promoting that there is a new version of Django released. I propose we remove almost all references to IRC. I would perhaps keep IRC in the “More help” sidebar of the [community page](https://www.djangoproject.com/community/), similar to StackOverflow and Reddit, and remove the rest. ---
**Author:** ![adamchainz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/adamchainz/32/26_2.png) [@adamchainz](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/adamchainz)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 2:24pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/proposal-retire-irc/37129/2 "2024-12-10T14:24:11Z")
+1 from me. I enjoyed IRC but left it like 4 years ago because it was already so quiet. I think the forum is a much better tool, especially since topics are public and discoverable on the web. ---
**Author:** ![bmispelon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/bmispelon/32/38_2.png) [@bmispelon](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/bmispelon)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 6:20pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/proposal-retire-irc/37129/3 "2024-12-10T18:20:42Z")
+1 from me too. I like your proposal of keeping it mentionned in a few places but decreasing its overall importance. I think it’s good that our documentation and website reflect where our contributors are, and that’s not on IRC anymore. ---
**Author:** ![jacobian](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/jacobian/32/279_2.png) [@jacobian](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/jacobian)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/proposal-retire-irc/37129/4 "2024-12-10T20:21:50Z")
> [@sarahboyce](#): > > I would perhaps keep IRC in the “More help” sidebar of the [community page](https://www.djangoproject.com/community/), similar to StackOverflow and Reddit, and remove the rest. Yeah, that sounds totally reasonable. (Makes me sad, but whatever, that ship has sailed.) ---
**Author:** ![nessita](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/nessita/32/12194_2.png) [@nessita](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/nessita)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 2:19pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/proposal-retire-irc/37129/5 "2024-12-11T14:19:30Z")
I’m also +1, as a Django user and developer but also as a Fellow, it’s one less step when doing releases 🥳 ---
**Author:** ![sarahboyce](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/sarahboyce/32/12734_2.png) [@sarahboyce](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/sarahboyce)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 3:23pm UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/proposal-retire-irc/37129/6 "2024-12-11T15:23:44Z")
Thank you all 👍 - Ticket: [#35999 (Remove references of the #django IRC channel as a place to get help/place to promote things) – Django](https://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/35999) - Django PR: [Fixed #35999 -- Removed #django IRC channel references where appropriate. by sarahboyce · Pull Request #18916 · django/django · GitHub](https://github.com/django/django/pull/18916) - [djangoproject.com](http://djangoproject.com) PR: [Reduced references to #django IRC. by sarahboyce · Pull Request #1821 · django/djangoproject.com · GitHub](https://github.com/django/djangoproject.com/pull/1821) - [code.djangoproject.com](http://code.djangoproject.com) PR: [Removed references to #django IRC. by sarahboyce · Pull Request #244 · django/code.djangoproject.com · GitHub](https://github.com/django/code.djangoproject.com/pull/244) ---
**Author:** ![timgraham](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/timgraham/32/11972_2.png) [@timgraham](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/timgraham)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 12:27am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/proposal-retire-irc/37129/7 "2024-12-13T00:27:51Z")
I wonder about #django-dev. There are currently 14 members, and I haven’t seen anything useful there in months. Have these discussions moved to Discord as well? ---
**Author:** ![sarahboyce](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/sarahboyce/32/12734_2.png) [@sarahboyce](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/sarahboyce)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 7:56am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/proposal-retire-irc/37129/8 "2024-12-13T07:56:43Z")
There are discussions on Django development in the Django Discord channels #contributor-discussion and #contributing-getting-started > **Recent screenshot of the channel (within the community section)** > > ![The Django Discord - #contributor-discussions screenshot](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/djangoproject/original/3X/4/f/4ff69023434f3eb686e40375a3acc02745c629ae.jpeg) If you join the Discord, I recommend muting channels that you’re not interested in and adjusting your notification settings 👍 ---
**Author:** ![pauloxnet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/forum.djangoproject.com/pauloxnet/32/11021_2.png) [@pauloxnet](https://forum.djangoproject.com/u/pauloxnet)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 8:25am UTC](https://forum.djangoproject.com/t/proposal-retire-irc/37129/9 "2026-02-18T08:25:30Z")
**Revisiting** this thread in light of the recent developments around _Discord_, I’m starting to wonder whether we should look at this decision again. At the time, consolidating around _Discord_ made sense. But the platform is clearly moving toward stronger age verification and identity requirements, and that will inevitably exclude some people. Some contributors will not be able to comply, and others simply won’t feel comfortable doing so. Our [Diversity Statement](https://www.djangoproject.com/diversity/) says that accessibility is a priority, not an afterthought. If access to our main community space depends on identity checks or biometric-style verification, that becomes more than just a tooling choice. **IRC** may be old-fashioned, but it is open, decentralized, and does not require identity verification. Perhaps **restoring** it as an additional access point would better reflect our commitment to broad and safe participation, without undoing the original goal of simplification.