What would be the downside to switching to a Discord server or such? IRC doesn't have logging. How can that possibly be a convenient form of communication if it relies on you never logging out?

Discord is a MegaSys product!!!

There is (for some time now) a plumbed matrix room, which is linked to IRC and through which history is available: #freedroid-irc:matrix.org

This needs to be mentioned on https://www.freedroid.org/contact/