Yup. It's popular for Linux support and group communication.
I was pretty into IRC back in the day. I'll avoid the novella, but it's how I really learned to type. My typing was subpar. So, I learned to use the backspace and spacebar. Then, I refused to look at the keyboard. I'd taken some typing classes before then, but did not do well in either of them. (Both with old-school typewriters.) Today, if I'm paying attention, I can type at about 90 WPM. I can go a bit faster, but then I start making mistakes. I do not type 'properly'. My fingers don't conform to the proper typing technique. Still, it works for me. (For example, my right hand is the one that presses the 't' key -- but not always. My left thumb is the only one that uses the spacebar, and I only use the shift key with my left hand.)