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I mainly make contacts with digital modes, and the whole point to bounce radio waves off ionosphere and record contacts with faraway people. The digital mode is better signal than voice, and don't have to talk to anyone.

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Do actual conversations normally happen in digital modes (whether CW or one of the ones that need a computer)? I got my technician license years ago and quit for the reasons others have listed above but have considered getting back into it for digital HF, but I've gotten the impression that people mostly just exchange callsigns and signal reports then move on to the next contact. I'm basically looking for old internet chatroom vibes but over radio.

Most people use FT8 for doing contacts because it works with low signal and does the exchange, just have to click on the other person.

There is JS8Call which uses same technology for doing chats. There are older digital modes for chatting but my understanding is that they used less these days; PSK31 is only one heard about being used.

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