I like Element well enough. It works for my needs.
Matrix just isn’t a Discord alternative flatout to me. It’s too different.
We really do a lack a Discord alternative right now. I know of two major examples: Stoat and Root. Both centralised. This is offputting to many, altough Stoat is actually UK-based which could in theory mitigate concerns about US big-tech.
The only down-the-line federated potential is something called “Roomy”, and I am following it - but it’s too basic right now.
I use Matrix for a few different things, and I think the biggest thing holding it back is that it isn’t particularly user-friendly or refined. It feels like something that is more packaged for enthusiasts than for general audiences.
I would not consider UK-based to be any better than US-based. The UK seems to have a major hate-on for anonymity, privacy, and encryption.
This is true, but also Ofcom runs affairs here and Stoat is likely too small for the forseeable to be even noticed by them.
Remember UK regulatory bodies are known for their ignorance and incompetence.
Security by obscurity is not security.
Fair enough. Truthfully I doubt Stoat can ever get that big (especially as it seems Root has a much faster development cycle and is likely to suck up any momentum they might have).
something called “Roomy”
is that
- Roomy, “a programming language extension for writing parallel disk-based applications”?
- Roomie, " accurate 3D models of apartments and dorms, helping residents arrange spaces, collaborate with roommates, and shop for furnishings"?
- Roomyy, " a tool that helps manage the hotel system"?
- ro0my, “how to design an effective website for your hospitality software company, focusing on” blah blah ?
- roOomy, “lifelike virtual staging that showcases properties in their best light, enh” realtor blah blah?
- Roomy Technologies, "redefining the way businesses connect, transact and grow. Our next-gen Point of Sale (POS) system called Chow POS " blah blah?
- Roomy space, a blank website mentioning chat that can’t even put a “we crutch on javascript because we don’t know better” banner? A pic below may be the same thing – it suits the broken theme.
- Roomy, “a freeform communications playground for messages both big and small, fast and slow” … so … messaging with extra words.
- https://github.com/muni-town/roomy, which seems to offer a discord bridge but crutches on npm downstream of the repo, and thus breaks ISO27002 and shatters the preconception of system-design competence?
Or something else?
I can feel my eyes bleeding.
It’s this.
I was always disappointed that Stoat (terrible rename btw) pushed federation out of their roadmap. If that would have taken a front seat it could have been a real discord clone. Anyone could spin up a server, and it’d be simple enough for users to understand. It honestly could have been the next IRC.
I would add that a true Federated Discord clone should have a “Community Discovery” map where accounts could jump in and access other chatrooms. And ‘instances’ could choose what other instances to federate with. Just like how it works on the Fediverse now.
Otherwise its just entirely disconnected independently run chatrooms.
Yes that’s what I don’t like about Stoat. No one is going to create logins for 7 different Stoat servers, they need to have a single place to access, and then join others from that one. Average users don’t want to know about servers or DNS names or anything, they want to click a button and start talking
Well currently Stoat isn’t federated, I was just noting that a hypothetical federated Discord should allow a single account to interact with servers not on the original accounts server - just like the fediverse
A discord alternative with functional voice chat and video streaming would be nice, but it’s sort of an AIM in the 90s situation. If the people you want to talk to are using the platform as their primary means of communication, it’s still kind of necessary. An alternative wouldn’t just have to be close to discord, it would have to actually be better so people use it.
Spot on. The features discord provides are pretty great.
I think Cinny has a pretty similar interface.
I think Element is the most similar to Discord. I hadn’t used others, but Element seems to be the best approximation.
I literally tried every matrix client i could find on linux and android and I agree. I don’t like Electron so I ended up self-hosting Element-web.
Have you tried Nheko
Maybe Cinny?
https://commet.chat/ is the closest I’ve seen.
