mIRC is the number one IRC client. A major reason why is the ability to script it. If people are that concerned with the other IM-like abilities and refuse to use one of the already available methods of doing those things, then there are clients out there that can do that stuff. The major difference is that mIRC has the ability to script things. So for those who don't care about scripting, there isn't any real reason not to use a client that offers what they want. For those who do care about scripting, they can use scripts that allow doing most of the popular requests until a time when it *may* be included. Until then, complaining about the same things over and over and blaming IRC's loss of people on IM, which is inaccurate, doesn't solve anything.
As for upgrading technology to suit the people... mIRC gets updated regularly. Will it be changed so that it spoon feeds everyone so that there isn't any complexity and people can use it as easily as IM? Doubtful, and I certainly hope that never happens. Will IRC (not mIRC) allow users to all chat together without multiple networks and channels? No. It will never happen. Those multiple networks and channels are what IRC *is* and that will never change.
Remember that you are talking about 2 different things... IRC and mIRC. People are leaving IRC (not mIRC) because of complexity. Changes to mIRC won't increase users of IRC. And changes to IRC are unlikely to happen in the way you suggest. IRC is what it is and that won't change. It will always be a more comlpex way of chatting.
