This is yet another hurdle that #Matrix has to get over. Besides all the problems people are noting with the server implementation (Synapse), the clients seem to be low quality.
I no longer have any contacts where we can 1:1 over Matrix. They’ve all been driven off by bugs 🐛 ... in particular, the end-to-end encryption gave lots of “unable to decrypt this message”. I’m told that has ended, but there’s no one to test it with.
I currently use Matrix mostly for the bridges to #IRC.
@rek2 you left out #Jami, which has a much more consistent #UX across platforms than #Tox (eg none of the Tox mobile apps I've tried support group chat). You also left out #BigBlueButton, which I keep hearing is much less of a resource hog on the server-side than #JitsiMeet, and I can confirm JM is a massive resource hog on the client-side. I haven't used #Discord but I've heard #Riot (#Matrix client) is a pretty good substitute?
You mean you've used #VoIP on #Riot, yes? That's a workaround that connects to a centralized server on matrix.org (running #JitsiMeet I believe?), it's not actually federated. So a Signal-on-Matrix fork would have to either set up their own VoIP server (and figure out how to pay for it), or find a decentralized VoIP solution (which is why I suggested Jami).
I had the same experience, refused to use FB since 2010 and finally got some of my family to start using #Wire. In hindsight, I wish I'd chosen #Riot, since Wire have recently set up a US branch to take #VentureCapital, and deprioritized their server<> server federation plans. @aktivismoEstasMiaLuo@gamliel
@mhoye all the solutions suggested by @lightweight and others at the time met criteria 1 and 2. I can't comment on the screen reader issue, but as the @matrix blog post about the Mozilla decision pointed out, this wasn't a solved problem in #Riot either, when Mozilla evaluations began, but totally solvable. 'We'll use Slack as a temporary measure until screen reader support meets our needs' would have been a principled decision. That's not what happened with CC. @liaizon@Greg
@michel_slm > messaging is less structured [in Matrix] than email
In the current clients (#Riot etc), but AFAIK there's nothing stopping the development of new Matrix clients with a more email-like UX. In theory, an offline mail client like #Thunderbird could be forked and ported from email/ #UseNet/ #RSS protocols to Matrix, with the normal mail UI used for 1=1 mails, and the newsreader UI used for group mails.
@sqwishy hmmm. Maybe a self-hosted #Matrix server and apps like #Riot/ #RiotX would be a better federated replacement for #WhatsApp than Mastodon? I really hope #NewVector can resolve the remaining issues this year that still prevent them turning on encryption by default.
I'm also pretty sceptical of the decision to make #Signal the default SMS app. I'm aware that of the #FreeCode chat apps that support both text and voice/ video, all are either walled gardens (eg Signal, #Wire, #Keybase) or painfully bleeding edge (eg #Riot, #Jami, #Tox, #Delta.chat). But I've discussed the reasons for my mistrust of the Signal and the cult-of-personality around it's founder at length.
My pick for now? * #Riot: easy UX, reliable message delivery, functional group chat. It all gets a bit cludgier when you turn encryption on, but a friend has his family using it and says it's working well.
Some of #Riot’s problems are baked into #Matrix as a whole. For example, addressing. Let’s say I set up #Synapse at matrix\.federati\.net. The “#members” room would be at #members:matrix.federati.net, correct? And my account would be @lnxw48a1:matrix.federati.net? I’m not even sure. Do their URLs start with “matrix:”? Or maybe “matrix://“?
And that’s the problem. They intentionally chose something so alien-looking that it confuses people.
@strypey Yes, that's a huge and continuing issue. And then you have this message can't be read because they haven't sent keys, which chases people off pretty quickly. #Riot is not ready for recommending.
I find #Riot really nice to use on #Android/Linux. It's a shame it's so ugly on GNU/Linux. Maybe something to do with fact it's a website wrapped in #Electron bloat? I'm really looking forward to a native #Matrix app for GNU/Linux, with a less eye-abusing GUI. Hopefully the work being done on apps for mobile GNU/Linux devices like the #Librem5 will also lead to more native app for the desktop.
A friend of mine recently told me he's had good results getting friends and family using #Riot (the flagship #Matrix client). I'm seriously considering recommending that (or #Pattle) over #Signal or #Wire as the best #FreeCode chat app for use with non-geek friends+family. Riot has always had the major pro that's it already decentralized, using an #OpenStandard,. Other than that, it now has pretty much the same pros and cons as Wire, including being developed by a VC-funded parent company.
Just installed #Movim app via @fdroidorg , couldn't login. Next step is to try it in the browser instead. My Android is ancient (4.4.4), so that could be something to do with it? But every other app I've installed on it from #FDroid works fine, including some quite demanding ones like #OSMAnd+ and #Riot.