If I could seriously start over I’d change quite a bit tbh. But then again I’m sure that could be said for it all. So many design choices are dealt with more than they are fully agreed-upon, especially as the years roll by. Knowing when to pull the plug on older tech, including older software, is more art than science. Should we still be using IRC, for example? Just deal with the lack of avatars and rely on copes like NickServs and bouncers? You’d be surprised how many people insist, yes, we should do exactly that.
Me personally, I’m not entirely sold on abandoning AP yet.