Are there many here who use a Matrix client like Element? [1] Or one of the dozens of compatible chat apps? [2]
Why don't more people use it? I can't understand why people would jump from one closed source silo like WhatsApp to another closed source Silo like Telegram or Signal.
1. Signal is FOSS. Telegram is partially FOSS (the client).
2. At least on the desktop, the UX of element is pretty bad IMHO. It's slow and feels like a web browser (and it probably is something like that under the hood, I would bet). Telegram feels much nicer (but only as an instant messaging app; you can't make it look and feel like IRC for chatting, while Element can be twisted to partially resemble an IRC client). Signal is closer to where Element is at, in my experience.
The signal client may be FOSS, but alternative clients are not allowed to use the Signal server. As Signal is not federated, hosting other servers is not possible. Below is a message by the creator of Signal `moxie0`:
> I'm not OK with LibreSignal using our servers, and I'm not OK with LibreSignal using the name "Signal." You're free to use our source code for whatever you would like under the terms of the license, but you're not entitled to use our name or the service that we run. [1]
> If you think running servers is difficult and expensive (you're right), ask yourself why you feel entitled for us to run them for your product.
The Signal client may be open source, but it's not free. It purports to be distributed under the GPL, but if you actually try to avail yourself of the primary benefit of the GPL -- the right to modify the software and distribute your modified version -- you get what you see in your own [1].
Not just the name, but connecting to their server. Regarding the name, he's certainly well within his rights to enforce his trademark. I take no issue with that. Easy enough for LibreSignal to have used a non-infringing name.
As to the server claim, frankly it seems to me that that claim by Moxie is without any basis. The license clearly allows redistribution modified or unmodified, so redistributing the unmodified default server setting would seem to be legit. IANAL, though.
Even failing that, the libre app could have removed the default server altogether and made every user enter the address manually. What could Moxie possibly do about that? I'm saddened that they decided to back off.
I know Moxie has a lot of street cred in the security community but honestly after reading that thread years ago I have trouble seeing him as anything other than a bullshitter and an asshole. (What "benefit" does he imagine the LibreSignal authors would derive from their 100% free app, anyway? It's the potential users that he's screwing, not the devs...) I decided I'm never going to run any binaries from him, period. If he ever changes his mind and gets the official Signal app into the main F-Droid repository, I'll consider that. Until then (ha!), you won't find me on Signal.
Thanks for letting me know about Signal. That's pretty bad.
About abandonment - has Signal LLC announced anything about this? Reading that thread you linked to sounds rather ominous; i.e. that they're making an effort to prevent any modifications or adaptations from being meaningfully usable. I guess things haven't improved since then?
> but could I ask why you find the UX bad? I'd be interested in helping improve it.
Will email you about this, since it's veering too far off topic.
Why don't more people use it? I can't understand why people would jump from one closed source silo like WhatsApp to another closed source Silo like Telegram or Signal.
The UX of Element is terrific now.
[1]: https://element.io/ [2]: https://matrix.org/clients/