4 ms·

The solution I use to minimise this is Element One (https://element.io/element-one https://element.io/element-one). This is a paid for service that operates bri

The solution I use to minimise this is Element One (https://element.io/element-one https://element.io/element-one). This is a paid for service that operates bridges from Matrix to Signal, WhatsApp and Telegram. I then get to communicate with all those contacts in one place (I'm on Android so iMessage not a problem). I signed up the moment it came out and they had some teething reliability problems for a while, but it's been great for months now. Element is a much better web client than any of the others and it's nice to not have to worry about which computer or platform I'm on when I want to write a message.

raybb 4y ago
Does it work with private WhatsApp chats? 1:1s
- rkangel 4y ago
  Yes, it works as you would expect.
codethief 4y ago
I assume this means the Element One servers have access to the plaintext of my messages?
- rkangel 4y ago
  They do, and this is a legitimate concern. I thought about it and decided I didn't care so much. An alternative is to self host the same set of services.
- ppseafield 4y ago
  That's correct. It's encrypted in transit, but the endpoint bridges decrypt messages then reencrypt them. IIRC you can run the bridges yourself on your own servers - Element just offers this service as well.
- ognarb 4y ago
  Yeah, but they are also working on an alternate solution where the bridging happens in the client, which doesn't have this issue.
  - codethief 4y ago
    Nice, where can I learn more?
    - ognarb 4y ago
      Matrix.org made a small demo of this at a EU workshop recently. I attended the workshop and wrote a bit about it https://carlschwan.eu/2023/03/02/digital-market-act-workshop-in-brussels/ https://carlschwan.eu/2023/03/02/digital-market-act-workshop...
tekknik 4y ago
Matrix comes up quite often here. Tell me why, even as a nerd, I want to run a server and get my friends and family to join to chat, instead of them opening the built in app and just having at. This is a non-starter.
- brokenmachine 4y ago
  You don't have to run your own server. There are plenty of open ones.
- bilkow 4y ago
  > Tell me why, even as a nerd, I want to run a server Apparently you don't want to, which is fine. Just use a publicly available server, there are many out there including matrix.org. But if you wanted to, you could. It's about control.
- rkangel 4y ago
  I talk to exactly one other person using "proper" Matrix to Matrix communication. Everything else I do is via bridges. I talk to people who are using WhatsApp and Signal clients, and I use it as an IRC client (it is an excellent IRC client). Despite not using proper Matrix it still is enormously useful to me just by being a good client with good bridges. For actual Matrix-Matrix comms I think Slack/Teams is probably a more realistic use-case to replace.
- mxuribe 4y ago
  > ...Tell me why, even as a nerd, I want to run a server... Actually, you have the *choice* to run a server or not. (Conceptually similar to old school email, you can live on your own server, or live on someone else's servers.) For matrix (or heck even for email) if you do not wish to manage your own server, there are free and paid services that you can leverage. > ...instead of them opening the built in app and just having at... This is not clear to me if you were referring to Apple to open up their app or if you meant matrix. Because i agree that Apple should open up their app....Even though i am a matrix fan. More open apps helps everyone involved to communications plaforms (including and especially users). But, if you meant for matrix to have their app open...well, matrix is the open protocol, and there are already many opened apps, such as Element, Cinny, Fluffychat, Schilid, etc. > ...and get my friends and family to join to chat... Yeah, no matter if Apple opens up or not, the network effect of asking/hoping friends/family join something else is real and non-trivial. Matrix won't solve that alone, because its not necessarily a tech-only problem. My personal hope is that - whether it is matrix protocol and associated clients, servers or something else entirely - i do wish we had some universal, open protocol that allowed for everyone, everywhere to chat...and which was not controlled by a few, powerful entities.

raybb 4y ago

Does it work with private WhatsApp chats? 1:1s

rkangel 4y ago
Yes, it works as you would expect.

codethief 4y ago

I assume this means the Element One servers have access to the plaintext of my messages?

rkangel 4y ago
They do, and this is a legitimate concern. I thought about it and decided I didn't care so much. An alternative is to self host the same set of services.
ppseafield 4y ago
That's correct. It's encrypted in transit, but the endpoint bridges decrypt messages then reencrypt them. IIRC you can run the bridges yourself on your own servers - Element just offers this service as well.
ognarb 4y ago
Yeah, but they are also working on an alternate solution where the bridging happens in the client, which doesn't have this issue.
- codethief 4y ago
  Nice, where can I learn more?
  - ognarb 4y ago
    Matrix.org made a small demo of this at a EU workshop recently. I attended the workshop and wrote a bit about it https://carlschwan.eu/2023/03/02/digital-market-act-workshop-in-brussels/ https://carlschwan.eu/2023/03/02/digital-market-act-workshop...

tekknik 4y ago

Matrix comes up quite often here. Tell me why, even as a nerd, I want to run a server and get my friends and family to join to chat, instead of them opening the built in app and just having at. This is a non-starter.

brokenmachine 4y ago
You don't have to run your own server. There are plenty of open ones.
bilkow 4y ago
> Tell me why, even as a nerd, I want to run a server Apparently you don't want to, which is fine. Just use a publicly available server, there are many out there including matrix.org. But if you wanted to, you could. It's about control.
rkangel 4y ago
I talk to exactly one other person using "proper" Matrix to Matrix communication. Everything else I do is via bridges. I talk to people who are using WhatsApp and Signal clients, and I use it as an IRC client (it is an excellent IRC client). Despite not using proper Matrix it still is enormously useful to me just by being a good client with good bridges. For actual Matrix-Matrix comms I think Slack/Teams is probably a more realistic use-case to replace.
mxuribe 4y ago
> ...Tell me why, even as a nerd, I want to run a server... Actually, you have the *choice* to run a server or not. (Conceptually similar to old school email, you can live on your own server, or live on someone else's servers.) For matrix (or heck even for email) if you do not wish to manage your own server, there are free and paid services that you can leverage. > ...instead of them opening the built in app and just having at... This is not clear to me if you were referring to Apple to open up their app or if you meant matrix. Because i agree that Apple should open up their app....Even though i am a matrix fan. More open apps helps everyone involved to communications plaforms (including and especially users). But, if you meant for matrix to have their app open...well, matrix is the open protocol, and there are already many opened apps, such as Element, Cinny, Fluffychat, Schilid, etc. > ...and get my friends and family to join to chat... Yeah, no matter if Apple opens up or not, the network effect of asking/hoping friends/family join something else is real and non-trivial. Matrix won't solve that alone, because its not necessarily a tech-only problem. My personal hope is that - whether it is matrix protocol and associated clients, servers or something else entirely - i do wish we had some universal, open protocol that allowed for everyone, everywhere to chat...and which was not controlled by a few, powerful entities.