Edit: Whoops, wrong thread
I guess this was meant for https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25719796 ? :)
Whoops, thanks
Element – All-in-one secure chat app for teams, friends and organisations
91–100 of 119 posts
Re: Element – All-in-one secure chat app for teams, friends and organisations
#92For anyone wondering how it compares to Signal privacy wise: Signal works with a contact list, for private 1 to 1 and private groups. You need a phone number to use it, and they claim to encrypt almost all metadata, such as message senders. Signal claims they cannot read the content nor the history of users actions (but you have to trust them on that, they claim to use SGX enclave stuff, but can anyone technically ve…
Element looks like more of a hassle specially for non tech savvy users in my family circle, I'm trying to get them to move to Signal from WhatsApp / FB Messenger.
Out of curiosity, why Signal and not Telegram? I don't know details about either, just that Telegram seems more popular with reportedly a better UI for non-technical people.
Re: Element – All-in-one secure chat app for teams, friends and organisations
#93Earlier quoted context omitted.
Element looks like more of a hassle specially for non tech savvy users in my family circle, I'm trying to get them to move to Signal from WhatsApp / FB Messenger.
Out of curiosity, why Signal and not Telegram? I don't know details about either, just that Telegram seems more popular with reportedly a better UI for non-technical people.
Telegram does not really support e2e encryption, except for 1:1 chats (which will only work on one device and must be activated explicitly)
Re: Element – All-in-one secure chat app for teams, friends and organisations
#94Earlier quoted context omitted.
Far as I can tell, matrix needs to focus harder on the user experience. It was a pain to get set up on.
I've installed Element on Android last week and created a fresh matrix.org account. No tech skills required so far.
I just tried it (new account) to see.
Downloaded client on Windows. Fine. Installed fine.
Hit the button to make an account, everything went fine. It sent a verification email. I clicked the link. It said "something" was wrong with my setup. I JUST installed it, with the default options.
On a hunch, I went back to the client, and was able to log in. The failure message was entirely spurious. If I hadn't been tech savvy I likely would have been scared off and not bothered, assuming it was just broken.
Re: Element – All-in-one secure chat app for teams, friends and organisations
#95Earlier quoted context omitted.
Cool. Now get 5 friends of yours to join you in a crypted room with each using a phone and then a browser, wait two days, get back to it and manage all the insecure session notices. Beware, they removed the warning from the android client though. It confused people.
are you talking about the gray shield?
I am talking about the insecure session red warnings in the room details and the notices aside messages of untrusted/unverified/forgotten session.
Re: Element – All-in-one secure chat app for teams, friends and organisations
#96I have replaced Hangouts, WhatsApp and Messenger front-ends on my phone and laptop with Element. I have been running the Matrix bridges for each[1] and am donating monthly to the creator. It's worth it. So far the "network effects" have been coincidental: one small group of colleagues registered on matrix.org after one more colleague from our small circle turned out to have a home server. There are 7-ish of us now, 2…
Regarding contact discovery, that seems to be the purpose of the identity server:
https://matrix.org/faq/#what-is-an-identity-server%3F
Many people run their own homeserver but I haven’t heard much about identity servers besides the official one at vector.im / matrix.org.
Re: Element – All-in-one secure chat app for teams, friends and organisations
#97Earlier quoted context omitted.
It also called Vector before.
Both sound better than 'element' to me. "Comms app" isn't exactly what I expect to be 'atomic', or 'simple', either. Aaand "Element Matrix Services"? bitch, please... XD 'Element' is so un-cybery, feels dated. First association is Bam Margera and teenage skateboard consumer culture. The uncool one, lacking punk rock and attitude. Such a 2000s word. Anyway, naming things is hard and annoying, so I am glad they found s…
The name grew on me quite a bit once I thought of the phrase, "in my element".
Re: Element – All-in-one secure chat app for teams, friends and organisations
#98I have replaced Hangouts, WhatsApp and Messenger front-ends on my phone and laptop with Element. I have been running the Matrix bridges for each[1] and am donating monthly to the creator. It's worth it. So far the "network effects" have been coincidental: one small group of colleagues registered on matrix.org after one more colleague from our small circle turned out to have a home server. There are 7-ish of us now, 2…
Regarding contact discovery, that seems to be the purpose of the identity server: https://matrix.org/faq/#what-is-an-identity-server%3F Many people run their own homeserver but I haven’t heard much about identity servers besides the official one at vector.im / matrix.org.
Identity servers are currently not federated so everyone needs to use the same one if they want to be able to find each other. That's why no one is talking about hosting their own.
Re: Element – All-in-one secure chat app for teams, friends and organisations
#99Earlier quoted context omitted.
Element looks like more of a hassle specially for non tech savvy users in my family circle, I'm trying to get them to move to Signal from WhatsApp / FB Messenger.
Out of curiosity, why Signal and not Telegram? I don't know details about either, just that Telegram seems more popular with reportedly a better UI for non-technical people.
Apart from Telegram now having E2E encryption by default, it also invents its own weird and unverified encryption instead of using a more peer-reviewed and robust method. Signal's encryption tech has some strong guarantees and advanced the state-of-the-art when it first appeared.
Worth noting that Matrix's crypto is also based on Signal's algorithm (but extended to support efficient encryption in rooms with a large number of participants).
Re: Element – All-in-one secure chat app for teams, friends and organisations
#100I have replaced Hangouts, WhatsApp and Messenger front-ends on my phone and laptop with Element. I have been running the Matrix bridges for each[1] and am donating monthly to the creator. It's worth it. So far the "network effects" have been coincidental: one small group of colleagues registered on matrix.org after one more colleague from our small circle turned out to have a home server. There are 7-ish of us now, 2…
I just installed element messenger on mobile and it asked for my contact list to find other matrix users, so it appears there is progress on that front.
(I said no, because for my current needs I don't wanna share any contacts with anyone.