Getting a hang of irc does take time, imho. It's not something you actively look at and interact. Rather it's something I look at occasionally and interact with. I think this style of irc'ing has made it ideal for me. Once you get more used to specific servers/channels, you tend to have different types of engagement. In my experience, a lot of new users come in hoping for this type of more personal/involved discussion from the get go and get disappointed quite a bit.
There are also different types of channels. I only talk in technical channels like #ubuntu when I need help. No point introducing noise. But I might have a monologue about some petty stuff in ##math-offtopic, for example.
There are also different types of channels. I only talk in technical channels like #ubuntu when I need help. No point introducing noise. But I might have a monologue about some petty stuff in ##math-offtopic, for example.