My point is that the forums are more easily regulated than the IRC, and are a better place for communicating and welcoming new players, old players, etc., - and yet the forums are what's under fire here, unjustly, while the IRC is held up as some bizarre gold standard. Your argument for keeping the IRC works just as well, if not better, for keeping the forums intact. If you're going to axe the forums, the IRC needs to be axed as well for promoting the same behavior. Otherwise, keep them both and regulate/moderate what you can.
