One thing I believe would at least help a little to increase adoption of alternative platforms would be to (and I know this is kind of problematic) learn a thing or two from the Windows 11 approach with the Teams integration.

The two biggest DEs for desktop Linux each have their own Matrix client (NeoChat for KDE and Fractal for GNOME), and I think it’d be a nice idea if they shipped them by default with the system and added some optional integration with the system. That said, I haven’t used KDE in a while to be sure if they already do so tho, so my focus would be on GNOME. For instance, in the “online accounts” section there could be a Matrix login option that automatically logs your account in whenever you install another Matrix client, for example. Other nice to have would be to be able to have Fractal have its own native “appindicator” for users to be able to have it running in the background in a more seamless way (since GNOME doesn’t support those out of the box).

XMPP would also be an ok option, but the focus here is on the UX/UI more than the privacy/usability of the protocol itself, and in both of these aspects the Matrix clients are way more polished than any XMPP alternative.

But yeah, any platform out of those is fine.

Thanks, I agree, you’re doing good as well.

Signal is okay as much as privacy is concerned, but it doesn’t solve all the problems with communications in real world. For instance its centralized design means it can be easily blocked, a private Matrix server on the other hand will not even make it on the radar.

Love the overall tone of your post, thanks for bringing an atmosphere of cooperative work instead of religious wars.

I think there is a balance between being friendly, open-minded, and pragmatic on one hand, while still being able to keep high expectations to keep pushing the projects we love and support in the right direction.

A simple example of what I mean is my position is of course Signal. I have many reasons to heavily criticize it, the first one for me being their obsession with centralization, refusing any federated model. To my eyes, this is a massive concern. But still, when I am asked advises on which messaging app to use for a group of friend, that are a little mindful about their privacy, while not being tech savvy at all, I talk about Signal (alongside Matrix or XMPP). Does that mean I am absolutely sold to it ? No ! Does it mean I will recommend matrix forever no matter what ? Of course not !

The context matters. If the whole world was on Signal, I would actively fight against it. But the thing is : the whole world is one Facebook. And I see little reason not to wish they were on Signal instead !

My point is : between people that care and are passionate about this sort of things, let’s have constructive debate and criticize the different alternatives, each other, and ourselves. But let’s keep in mind that we are in this together with people that won’t want (and legitimately so) to spend that much energy on those debates, and that being elitists assholes won’t help.

P.S. : Privacy is mostly a collective issue. I’m an anti-Facebook purist asshole, with no account. But there are pictures of me, anyway, comments about me and my life probably all around. If you want to be an efficient solo purist, you’d better stop talking to anyone, and doing anything social.

email

Try Delta Chat

Why are you listing email in the same category as big tech/Facebook?

You normies can’t tell 💩 from 🍫.

This is how I feel about Linux. It does not really matter which one is best, the first step is to just get people to use it… if they are able to.

Messaging apps are even easier since people can use as many as they want at the same time. I regularly use 5-6 different messaging apps. I use at least 2-3 daily.

My girlfriend almost never used my matrix server until I set it up on her new phone. To my surprise she called me from it the other week when she was visiting her mother.

So like Microsoft teams, maybe it will be best to just set these up on our families phones and friends who are willing and just start using it. I was once told that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

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Every step away from Big Tech, especially GAFAM, is a step in the right direction.

Agree with all points, but sorry not leaving discord for something half-baked as Matrix (That bot genuinely seems good), or Telegram for something featureless as Signal. Privacy is important so long as it also is convenient. Granny isn’t abandoning facebook til everyone she knows has, that’s how things work, unfortunately.