Element | Secure collaboration and messaging
element.io
Element is a Matrix-based end-to-end encrypted messenger and secure collaboration app. It’s decentralised for digital sovereign self-hosting, or through a hosting service such as Element Matrix Services. Element operates on the open Matrix network to provide interoperability and easy connections.

I’m thinking of moving away from US-based messengers.

Signal, telegram etc have the same problematic architectures. Of those kinds of solutions, I like Threema best, but nobody uses them (which is only a problem because of their architecture).

So I wanted to get a solution with a decentralized architecture, pretty much like the fediverse.

From what I can see, the fediverse activityPub with MLS layer project (to enable fediverse end-to-end encrypted messaging) is still in the functional documentation stage.

So, what do you think of Element as a messenger (which uses matrix protocol)?

  • troed@fedia.io
    2·
    4 days ago

    I’ve been using Matrix for a few years now, locally hosting my own server and having my family and some in the extended family on there. After the switch to their new Element X clients I consider it to have been smooth sailing. Additionally, since I run my own server I also bridge in other protocols (Signal, Meta, IRC … ) resulting in having all of my communication in one client.

    If you don’t want to host your own server, you can either use matrix dot org which can be a bit laggy, or try to find another one of the servers allowing public signup (there aren’t that many).

    • erebion@news.erebion.euEnglish
      0·
      4 days ago

      It’s nice to see bridging efforts, but for me it has never been as reliable as XMPP transports, which have been around for years and also support real forms for logging in and configuring things. :D

      The mautrix bridges never worked well for me, but slidge.im is great with my own XMPP server and requires a fraction of the resources. I can only recommend that to anyone looking into bridges. :)

      • troed@fedia.io
        1·
        4 days ago

        Ok. I’m using the Mautrix bridges and find them to work really well.

            • erebion@news.erebion.euEnglish
              1·
              1 day ago

              Seriously, an Elenctron app just for logging in?

              Why?

              ?!

              Why would anyone ever design an Electron app just for logging in? WTF?

              • troed@fedia.io
                1·
                1 day ago

                If you don’t want an easy solution feel free to use the more difficult one.

                • erebion@news.erebion.euEnglish
                  1·
                  1 day ago

                  I use a simple and sane solution: Forms. Unfortunately, that’s not yet supported by the Matrix specification, but the XMPP standard has an XEP for that. No separate software required for login.

                  I hope the Matrix standard will also incorporate that idea at some point. They’ve already added so many ideas from XMPP, I’m confident that one would be especially great to also add there. :)

                  We also need interoperability between the two, they have very similar goals and we should decrease fracturing for IM. Just imagine how large the combined user-base could be!