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)?

  • erebion@news.erebion.euEnglish
    10·
    4 days ago

    After hosting Matrix for eight years, I’ve largely given up on it. It is resource intensive, slow and always seemed unreliable.

    I actually got into hosting XMPP because of that, as I really wanted something decentralised that works well.

    Here’s a flyer from the Digital Independence Day (that was recently proclaimed by the Chaos Computer Club and a lot of other organisations in Germany) that shows two simple ways you can start using it:

    English: https://shop.digitalcourage.de/files/xmpp-folder-engl-druck.pdf
    German: https://shop.digitalcourage.de/files/xmpp-folder-Druck.pdf
    French: https://shop.digitalcourage.de/files/xmpp-folder-F-druck.pdf

    If any server goes down, I will not have much of an issue, as long as it is not mine. If it is a server my contacts use, I will only lose contact to a couple people, until those have access again.

    It’s a very resilient network and that’s why I enjoy using it. It uses the same cryptography as Signal, the adaptation is called OMEMO.

    Also, the clients run even on old phones, as they do not need a lot of resources, which helps when people have little money and also saves the environment.

    It’s reliable and just works, I like those qualities in software.

    • Attacker94@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      4 days ago

      Is there anything about the standard for xmpp that guarantees e2e messaging, I was unable to find anything that even claimed it had the ability. I know that practice is under attack, but while it is still legal to do so I would like to support e2e forms of communication as much as possible.

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

        You can use it, yes. There’s OMEMO, it is based on the Signal protocol’s encryption scheme, just adapted to XMPP.