When I first looked for something to let me be "always on" I ran into the same advice you're giving. It didn't help me at all. Most people looking for the answer to "how can I have always-on IRC with a backlog" don't want to learn about what a BNC is or the pros and cons of the various BNC solutions out there, they want something actionable.
I ended up installing Quassel with a docker image and downloading a Quassel client for my laptop and smartphone. I hear it's possible to connect to Quassel (and other bouncers?) with regular IRC clients, too, but I can't be arsed to figure out how.
I ended up installing Quassel with a docker image and downloading a Quassel client for my laptop and smartphone. I hear it's possible to connect to Quassel (and other bouncers?) with regular IRC clients, too, but I can't be arsed to figure out how.