I remember going out of my way back when the chat server was first introduced, going into a fair amount of detail about how an IRC chat server can be as secure as you want it to be... you just have to KNOW how to configure it. I offered my help, yet nobody took me up on it.
And the Java POS is still down a great deal of the time. I had thought about making constant posts about it being down, but I decided not to, because I didn't want to come off like a jerk, since I had been very vocal about the issue from the start. Then I saw the post from Power Wagon, announcing their IRC-based server, and I was very pleased about it.
So you wonder why I have an attitude about it? I dislike stuff that doesn't work, particularly when the Powers That Be take the stance of ignoring the problem and hoping it'll go away, even when help on the subject is offered by those with experience in that area.
With as much trouble as I've had with stuff related to my truck, vendors, and also the chatroom (about the only thing on TDR I still use), my patience is gone.
If you want to kill the chat server, it won't bother me one bit... it doesn't work anyway. The nwbombers.com chatroom is working wonderfully right now, and it won't take long before people start using it by default. You guys had the opportunity to fix the problem, and didn't.
Rob