This is a huge, major, super-duper necromancy, but out of curiosity am I the only one who can't load the chat anymore?
I'm in the chat everyday, along with a long list of regulars. However their webchat isn't working, so if that's what you were using you'll have to find a dedicated IRC program. I use pidgin, which isn't really specifically made for IRC, but has the protocol. There are tons out there that others may be able to recommend, including add-ons for Firefox and such if you're not willing to download a whole program.
Also you can't necro a sticky thread, they're stickied for that very purpose.