I gave element / matrix a try recently. It’s a very different use case, as (AFAICT) it does not support multi-channel rooms (or whatever you call it). The closest analogue would be WhatsApp / Telegram / Signal.
Also, multi device login is wonky as hell, took me 20 mins of repeated attempts to get it working.
Signal / WhatsApp are messengers, they’re meant for 1 to 1 or small groups. They don’t handle large groups well, for which you want things like rooms, roles, moderation, etc. Different niches.
Yeah I get the downside of those. But I find it weird how so many people blast discord when it’s just about the only option for simple modern text based chat groups
Afaict, it doesn’t really have any major competitors. No, if I have to self host, it’s not a competitor
Using discord or self-hosting matrix/XMPP is a false dichotomy. One can join the already established servers available for either protocol.
I gave element / matrix a try recently. It’s a very different use case, as (AFAICT) it does not support multi-channel rooms (or whatever you call it). The closest analogue would be WhatsApp / Telegram / Signal.
Also, multi device login is wonky as hell, took me 20 mins of repeated attempts to get it working.
I agree. I just think the reason it doesn’t is because it doesn’t need to exist. Seriously, 100% of its usecases are better served by something else.
Um. As a simple place for a group to chat and communicate via text?
Is it better than Signal/WhatsApp for that?
Signal / WhatsApp are messengers, they’re meant for 1 to 1 or small groups. They don’t handle large groups well, for which you want things like rooms, roles, moderation, etc. Different niches.
Ah, so large groups specifically? Fair enough
Yeah, I run a hobby club with like 200 members in discord. Handling that in WhatsApp or signal would be such a pain.
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Discord’s great for that. But so many games and software are using it instead of forums or proper issue trackers now. It’s a pretty serious downgrade.
Yeah I get the downside of those. But I find it weird how so many people blast discord when it’s just about the only option for simple modern text based chat groups