Best IRC Channels in 2021?

I am part of the team that actually runs the darkscience network, I'm very proud that we made your list!

As for others? I'm quite fond of ##infra-talk[0] and cyberia[1]

[0]: ircs://chat.freenode.net:6697/%23%23infra-talk

[1]: ircs://irc.cyberia.is:6697/%23cyberia

#lobsters & #nix have interesting convos. #lobsters is more general talk. I list my top IRC channels I connect to here:

https://wiki.nikitavoloboev.xyz/irc

#perl was interesting to follow when I was into it and helped me when I was learning the language and had, like, intermediate level questions, I remember I also had a general question about stuff sysadmins would know about and got help there too

#startups (which is a bunch of hacker news readers.

freenode/#postgresql is where and how i keep my chops. if i'm not learning by asking, i'm learning by helping.

quakenet/#webdev

and btw, there's a superhacker there called PoG who challenges others to try and hack him. apparently his life and network is impenetrable.