slack>matrix>irc>discord sorry i dont make the rules

I'm good at making mistakes. Sometimes I improve, but I never make the same mistake twice.
https://makemake.site

elaborating:
slack - really good for keeping conversations organized. that is if you dont have a morbillion channels for all kinds of things but the search helps

matrix - discord but owned by you, just werks

irc - doesnt work

discord - child molester grooming application

IRC works and has worked forever. There's a reason your linux distro's preferred community is hosted there.

i mean it works for basic chatting, sure. but anything more and it absolutely shits the bed ux wise

You're also mixing protocols with apps. Matrix and IRC are protocols/standards with a variety of apps while Discord and Slack are apps with proprietary protocols.