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Except XMPP uses DNS for message routing from a human readable handle, user@host.com, but Matrix uses a central database "identity server" operated by Matrix.or

Except XMPP uses DNS for message routing from a human readable handle, user@host.com, but Matrix uses a central database "identity server" operated by Matrix.org and federation fails if this service goes down. So Matrix is like XMPP, except that XMPP is really federated, but Matrix's "federation" is partial and therefore it's mostly marketing. Matrix is really mostly marketing overall. That's part of why it's so popular here; HNers love shiny bullshit. Honestly XMPP is a better protocol, it's even still being updated and has many more server and client implementations, including modern ones, but Matrix has great PR.

q3k 5y ago
> but Matrix uses a central database "identity server" operated by Matrix.org and federation fails if this service goes down. It doesn't. Matrix identities (like @q3k:hackerspace.pl) are resolved to homeserver instances via DNS or HTTPS .well-known requests. $ curl https://hackerspace.pl/.well-known/matrix/server {"m.homeserver":{"base_url":"https://matrix.hackerspace.pl"},"m.server":"matrix.hackerspace.pl:443"} or $ dig +short SRV _matrix._tcp.asra.gr 10 0 443 synapse.asra.gr.
ryukafalz 5y ago
> Except XMPP uses DNS for message routing from a human readable handle, user@host.com, but Matrix uses a central database "identity server" operated by Matrix.org and federation fails if this service goes down. Uh, no? Federation certainly does not fail if the identity server goes down. You won't be able to invite someone to a room by email address or phone number if whatever identity server you're using goes down, but it's nowhere near the critical path for federation.
stryan 5y ago
> Except XMPP uses DNS for message routing from a human readable handle, user@host.com, but Matrix uses a central database "identity server" operated by Matrix.org and federation fails if this service goes down. This statement is almost entirely wrong. The identity server is A) only for mapping 3PID (3rd Party Identities, i.e. email addresses or phone numbers) to matrix usernames, B) can be self-hosted, and C) not required at all for federation. Federation does not in anyway require services provided by Matrix.org
Arathorn 5y ago
> Matrix uses a central database "identity server" operated by Matrix.org and federation fails if this service goes down. This is completely and utterly false. The identity server is a completely optional directory service used to resolve email addresses and phone numbers to matrix IDs. Honestly, I wish we'd never bothered with them - they are rarely used today, and cause more confusion than they add value.

q3k 5y ago

> but Matrix uses a central database "identity server" operated by Matrix.org and federation fails if this service goes down. It doesn't. Matrix identities (like @q3k:hackerspace.pl) are resolved to homeserver instances via DNS or HTTPS .well-known requests. $ curl https://hackerspace.pl/.well-known/matrix/server {"m.homeserver":{"base_url":"https://matrix.hackerspace.pl"},"m.server":"matrix.hackerspace.pl:443"} or $ dig +short SRV _matrix._tcp.asra.gr 10 0 443 synapse.asra.gr.

ryukafalz 5y ago

> Except XMPP uses DNS for message routing from a human readable handle, user@host.com, but Matrix uses a central database "identity server" operated by Matrix.org and federation fails if this service goes down. Uh, no? Federation certainly does not fail if the identity server goes down. You won't be able to invite someone to a room by email address or phone number if whatever identity server you're using goes down, but it's nowhere near the critical path for federation.

stryan 5y ago

> Except XMPP uses DNS for message routing from a human readable handle, user@host.com, but Matrix uses a central database "identity server" operated by Matrix.org and federation fails if this service goes down. This statement is almost entirely wrong. The identity server is A) only for mapping 3PID (3rd Party Identities, i.e. email addresses or phone numbers) to matrix usernames, B) can be self-hosted, and C) not required at all for federation. Federation does not in anyway require services provided by Matrix.org

Arathorn 5y ago

> Matrix uses a central database "identity server" operated by Matrix.org and federation fails if this service goes down. This is completely and utterly false. The identity server is a completely optional directory service used to resolve email addresses and phone numbers to matrix IDs. Honestly, I wish we'd never bothered with them - they are rarely used today, and cause more confusion than they add value.