Yeah, we will have much success converting people from WhatsApp and shit by telling them to run their own servers /s. If a non technical friend asks me what to use instead and I'll advise them to use Matrix, you can be sure they'll go to app store, install Element and register at matrix.org. So I do want to know if it's operated by Mossad before I send my friends there.

I'm absolutely for free software, but this statement is very simplistic. Do "we" control software running on matrix.org, where most users have accounts? Or do "we" control what binaries of Element are being deployed to App Store or Play Store? Just because something has a free software licence, doesn't mean it's not important who the maintainers and major developers are. One of the important features of free software is transparency, which allow us as community to learn and discuss who and how develops the software. I'm not saying Matrix is bad. I'm still using it. I just want to know more about it and who's running the show, and hear other peoples opinions and arguments.

What's a better alternative? Which other platforms are you referring to? How do they compare in terms of features and adoption? From all the decentralised, e2e encrypted platforms I tried, matrix is the only one more or less accessible for normies.

That wouldn't apply to conversations you have within a group that hosts their own server, would it? Like within a family or a club.

I started a discussion about this post here:

https://europe.pub/post/4315776