The only problem with Discord is that it is closed. Otherwise, it's a truly excellent platform.
In many ways, the problem with Social Networks isn't algorithms or whatever, it's the scale, and being on a small server with at most 50-100 other people is an incredible experience. I've met so many interesting people from around the world who wouldn't have the technical skills to navigate the IRC world, and I didn't have to blow up my brain in the process.
The problem with discord isn't that it's closed, it's that you don't own your own data.
The difference between open and closed is meaningless for the cloud. Give me the raw storage used by any piece of software and I can knock out a script that will serve it. Give me any open source network and without the data you have a ghost town no one will use.
I said closed, not closed source. Closed in the exact sense you are talking about: you don't own your data, you can't transfer in or out with ease, and you can't bring your own user agent without breaking the ToS.
In many ways, the problem with Social Networks isn't algorithms or whatever, it's the scale, and being on a small server with at most 50-100 other people is an incredible experience. I've met so many interesting people from around the world who wouldn't have the technical skills to navigate the IRC world, and I didn't have to blow up my brain in the process.