We ran our co-op on matrix for a while. We switched to discord because onboarding to matrix and making people use this "weird app" was a burden. I would have loved to use IRC, or xmpp, but the way we use these "chat apps" is as the cornerstone of our entire organization, and I couldn't find a good way to get IRC or xmpp to work that way.
For example, we have the "gigs" channel where gigs that are hiring are posted as threads, and people interested reply in that thread asking questions about the gig, putting their names in the hat, getting communicated with about client questions etc. A lot of the information is "duplicated" to our CRM and even our wiki in a little table, but at the end of the day the "chat room" is the hub.
Same for events (which are duplicated to wiki and calendar), announcements (wiki, monthly email newsletter), and long running threads in "general" planning FOSS projects or whatever that people that only check in a couple times a week will pick up again after a gap.
For example, we have the "gigs" channel where gigs that are hiring are posted as threads, and people interested reply in that thread asking questions about the gig, putting their names in the hat, getting communicated with about client questions etc. A lot of the information is "duplicated" to our CRM and even our wiki in a little table, but at the end of the day the "chat room" is the hub.
Same for events (which are duplicated to wiki and calendar), announcements (wiki, monthly email newsletter), and long running threads in "general" planning FOSS projects or whatever that people that only check in a couple times a week will pick up again after a gap.