“Cat, cat, my master cat, you are so lazy and fat…” – legendary words sung by Hillar Vimberg in Eurolaul 2001 as a part of “Cat Story”, which is definitely a classic in our community.

Now that was quite the introduction to this post, wasn’t it? Maybe that already says everything you need to know about our Eurovision chat, but let me get from “Cat Story” to “Chat Story” anyway!

After all, you might not know much about our Eurovision chat yet. Or maybe you’ve been a fixture there for many years. Or something in between. But no matter what, I’ll try to write this piece for all levels!

A bit of history

It’s now four years since our website had its big relaunch, six years since our name change to “escgo!”, 11 years since we started blogging here (under our old name “esc-chat.com”), 13 years since we first had a website in the first place, and 17 years since our chat was founded (itself emerging from another chat which originated in the late 1990s). And still, it just occurred to me: We haven’t blogged about our chat yet!

If you’re a stranger to the chat, you might already have seen those red buttons saying “Join the Chat!” on our website, or even the “Chat” page, but still wonder what actually happens once you take that step and enter.

So let me explain!

Our Eurovision chatroom’s official name is “#esc”. Over the years, it turned out to be impractical to call it that on the internet for dozens of reasons, so we mostly call it just “the chat” when we’re communicating here or on social media.

The chat has brought Eurovision fans together, from all over the world, since way before Facebook existed. Before social networks were a thing, the chat was active nearly 24/7. No matter what time you logged in, there was always someone to talk to. During the shows of the national final season in particular, the chatters joined in watching and rating the songs together (as we still do today!).

Sometimes people came to visit for just one night. Sometimes people came to stay, and many solid friendships were established in the chat – and because of the chat.

Old tech for the Twenties!

Now in the 2020s, we’re still watching national selections together, rating the songs, meeting for our own events (like SongHunt or the ChatVote), and often just hanging out together and talking about this, or that, or nothing. And that’s OK, too.

It’s not such a 24/7 thing any more. Where our chat might have resembled a crowded nightclub in the old days, it’s more of a chillout lounge in this day and age. But that’s OK, too.

So wait, what is the point I’m making here? This post should be trying to motivate people to join, you might be thinking? Well, let’s be honest. We’re old, wise (ahem), and realistic enough to understand that an IRC chat (that’s the technology behind it) is not what the broader masses are interested in using today. It’s hardly new tech. But that’s the thing: We’re not for the masses. We are a bunch of individuals, nerds if you will, with our own Eurovision subculture and lots of love for the likes of “Cat Story”, “Suus”, “Via Lattea” or “Share The Love” as much as the obvious things that everyone else likes.

So yes, we’re OK with being a subdued and sometimes quiet lounge, but we’re also welcoming to new and returning visitors. Visitors who might stay for a night only, or who might eventually turn into new friends. In other words, if you haven’t been put off by this point, you might want to hover over that red button under this post and actually “Join the Chat” after clicking it.

Finally, I can say:

Tonight, our 17th annual ChatVote is being held, in which we’re crowning our own favourite of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. Among other things, it’s this that inspired me to write this article.

And let me end with a personal note: Without the chat, my life would have been totally different. In the past 21 years, the chat (and its predecessor) added joy, togetherness, friendships, also a bit of drama, but mostly a lot of value to my life that I otherwise probably wouldn’t have found in that dimension.

After 21 years, it’s safe to say that I don’t regret anything… joining… and staying.

The chat is home.