not really, most irc channels are either distro or project specific.
for opinions about different distros, they are easy to find everywhere.
the only true measure for any distro is how well you like the way it is set up for your own needs.
any other criteria is less important.
[ I personally detest the GNOME desktop, so any distro that defaults to GNOME is out of the question. ( Red Hat's EL and Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu .... ]
I also don't like the multimedia rich bloat that KDE is getting, so the rest of the main distros get knocked off my list of acceptable options.
leaves me with only the option of Linux From Scratch, no bloatware required.
the only way you will be able to truly compare distros is by getting the live cd most distros have and running it, then you can pick one that suits your needs and interests best.