this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2025
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[–] AnimalsDream@slrpnk.net 37 points 6 days ago (17 children)

We really need to stop abandoning existing foss projects and thinking a whole new thing needs to be invented. Free and open-source software is not a product, it doesn't abide by the same rules and relationships that proprietary tech does.

It's more organic. It's also a commons that we can continue to draw on, and reshape. If I recall correctly, there were something like three different vector graphic editors from the same codebase before Inkscape managed to be the one that gained traction.

Matrix isn't perfect, but abandoning it just to reinvent it all over again just because some people really need a thing that works like Discord, even though Discord is absolute hot garbage; is just going to re-create all the same problems. Matrix today is better than it was two years ago. And Matrix in a year will be better from now.

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Can't agree on Discord being hot garbage, unless you're specifically talking about how monetisation has creeped its way into it.

However, with Vencord I don't have to see any of that shit, while also having a far more functional and feature rich client.

Of course, a FOSS, potentially federated alternative would be greatly preferred, but it must have at least the basic functions of Discord.

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[–] deadsuperhero@lemmy.world 27 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I always liked the concept of Matrix, and still actively use it, but there's some serious jank. Synapse is generally bloated and not fun to run an instance, Dendrite is perpetually in Beta, and the clients themselves range from adequate to awful. The default Element client on Android is so broken for me that I'm forced to use Element X, because I can't even log in with Element.

It's disappointing, but there's a ton of issues that aren't so easy to resolve. New Vector and the Element Foundation are basically two separate entities that have some kind of hard split between them, neither of which seems to have the money necessary to support comprehensive development. The protocol is said to be bloated and overtly complex, and trying to develop a client or a server implementation is something of a nightmare.

I want to see Matrix succeed, I think a lot of people see the potential of what it could be. I'm not sure it'll ever get there.

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[–] sunth1ef@sh.itjust.works 19 points 6 days ago (1 children)

From an outsiders perspective, element has never worked for me and never been stable enough to get anywhere close to discord. Joining servers is buggy AF and Element X is severely hobbied on mobile.

I've been refusing to use discord for about 6-8 months and am often invites to join various discords by IRL friends and online communities. I wish Matrix / Element was a viable alternative but I've never been able to get it working for anythung other than DMs, and I'm already happy with Signal for that honestly.

As a non developer I want to be sensitive to the amount of work involves, and the number of cooks in the kitchen, but the fact that we don't have a FOSS- federated slack / discord killer app is leaving so much interaction on the table.

I've heard of Revolt but it doesn't seem to be there with encryption

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[–] mat@linux.community 1 points 3 days ago

I did not enjoy finding out only at the end that the images in this blog post are generated/made using AI.

[–] shiroininja@lemmy.world 10 points 6 days ago (4 children)

I don’t know why people don’t use irc, I’m in it daily and it’s busier than Matrix, and even busier than some Discord servers I’m in. And there’s mobile clients. There’s even way less bots and spam

[–] MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I think the barrier to entry is kind of high, you need to use a bouncer to see what happened while you were offline.

[–] shiroininja@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I don’t really worry about that. I treat it like natural conversation, or traditional chat rooms. I mean I don’t need a recap when I show up at a party. I just jump in. I’ve never heard of a bouncer, but I think it would turn it into more of a feed than a conversation, which is the opposite of what I want.

I’m tired of feeds and timelines. AOL chat rooms were my formative internet years, and I liked that. I think the old style of internet communication is better than the feed silos we have now. Besides, I hardly ever go back and look at older convos in other spaces. I usually hit mark all as read when I open the app.

Problem is then you miss important info, for example if friends are talking about a game server they're running and post the connection details, or if they plan an event with a location and time to meet, if you don't have a bouncer and were offline then you can't see those messages.

[–] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 5 days ago

The bouncer is just the name for the technology that maintains your connection when your client disconnects.

I'm kind of socially awkward, so I really value being able to "read the room" and see what people were talking about before I joined. I have IRC set up so that when I open it up, I see the previous 40 lines or so of dialog from before I connected. (This is a setting you can adjust on the bouncer).

I could achieve something similar by joining a room and then waiting a few minutes, but sometimes the room is very slow and no one posts, etc., it's nice to just always be able to look at the scroll back when you log on.

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[–] rozodru@lemmy.world 5 points 6 days ago

yup I went back to IRC. got tired of discord and matrix just wasn't for me. IRC is where it's add. still remember all the stuff from the 90s so it was just like riding a bike. plus I can have it in my Terminal which is a plus.

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[–] Netrunner@programming.dev 12 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Self hosted matrix works great. /thread

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[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

I've used matrix for a year now and it works, but it seems slow.

Lots of people tried to self-host it and reported it uses too much RAM for what it does. (It allegedly uses 1GB or more of ram even if it only has 1-2 users)

Efficient software is a must. Software must not waste resources simply because "they are there". That's my biggest gripe with matrix.

Disclaimer: i've not tried to host matrix myself, so i could be wrong here.

[–] mesamunefire@piefed.social 7 points 5 days ago (8 children)

Its running about 1GB for me and my server setup. It spikes a bit if there is a lot going on, but it can get low than that when its just idling. Its not terrible, but given irc and other clients which take MB for RAM...its a bit of a hog-ish.

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[–] Shape4985@lemmy.ml 5 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Iv tried matrix a couple times. I wanted to like it but couldnt get on with it.

Signal and simplex are still my prefrence

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[–] Mio@feddit.nu 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I am glad someone can admit it failed and we have to learn from this. I am just wondering what it takes to succeed.

[–] Turret3857@infosec.pub 12 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (4 children)

start with a discord clone

make it e2ee

make it federated

i feel like it shouldnt be this hard, but I'm not the one developing matrix, nor XMPP, nor the 3rd smaller option you the reader is wanting me to list that I am unaware of

[–] Threeme2189@sh.itjust.works 6 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Don't fucking clone the godaweful mess that is Discord. Please, for the love of God start with something else.

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