Version 4 of the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) protocol: because who needs human communication when you can have 8-bit ASCII characters and cryptic error messages?
Developed in the dark ages of 1990s, IRC v4 was a behemoth of a protocol that still somehow managed to gain traction. It's like a relic of a bygone era, a reminder that just because something is old doesn't mean it's good.
Some notable changes in this version include:
Well, why not? It's still a great excuse to get out of social gatherings and pretend to be working on a "very important" project.
You may be wondering: What's the point of this protocol again?
For more information, please refer to the IRC v4 specification document (in all its glory).