> Beyond pure operations, IRC was also a social space with its own culture, rituals, and hierarchy. You proved yourself by sharing information, by having access to tools before others did, by being present when something interesting happened. The channels were chaotic, frequently toxic, and also a brutal apprenticeship in network security for anyone who could not afford a conference ticket. Many people who are now respected professionals in DFIR, threat intelligence, and red teaming learned the fundamentals there.

toxic indeed - I somehow ended up in IRC channels as a curious, lonely ten year old with a computer and parents that frequently confined me to my room with nothing but a computer, an internet connection (which they thought could only be used for email), and books. One of my more formative experiences was getting my pc pwned, getting so upset about it, I resolved to learn everything I could get my hands about it in my teens. Never got super far as some did, but that curiosity sparked in me a drive that has lasted nearly 30 years now.