Matrix vs. XMPP: Why Open Source Purists Are Rejecting Signal's 'Trust' Model
The current struggle centers on delivering a federated equivalent to Telegram channels, requiring a mix of read-only broadcasting and native comment threading. People are frustrated with the immediate mess, currently using brittle workarounds involving bots and RSS feeds just to keep basic functionality alive.
The actual debate pits established protocols against experimental ones. Some, like thebardingreen, push to simplify existing, powerful systems such as Matrix or XMPP, wanting ease of deployment similar to Forgejo. Others, like corsicanguppy and Teknevra, are looking at novel federation schemes like MaddyUnderStars/shoot, despite acknowledging the technical hurdles. A major sticking point is whether to build new tech or just improve what already works.
The consensus heavily favors self-hostable, auditable, open-source protocols like Matrix and XMPP. The fundamental technical failure point, as pointed out by hendrik, is not just addressing messages (like FEP-1b12), but defining the actual content schema for complex group interactions.
Key Points
Self-hosting and auditability trump convenience.
dessalines argues Matrix's open-source nature makes it superior to centralized services like Signal because you don't have to 'trust' them.
Basic group features demand broadcast + threading.
myszka identifies the critical missing piece: a federated equivalent for Telegram channels that handles both broadcasting and comment threads.
Improve existing protocols rather than building new ones.
thebardingreen stated energy should focus on making Matrix/XMPP deployment simpler, matching Forgejo's usability.
Complex content delivery requires defining standards beyond addressing.
hendrik noted that addressing (FEP-1b12) is easy; defining message content and sorting is the hard part for any new protocol.
Current reality forces reliance on messy, intermediate hacks.
tastemyglaive reports that users are currently 'forced into brittle workarounds, utilizing bots that bridge multiple distinct applications and relying on RSS feeds.'
Source Discussions (3)
This report was synthesized from the following Lemmy discussions, ranked by community score.