From 7a0fcf88ec125eb69dab3adc74569d0274848cf4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Xe Iaso Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2022 21:09:44 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] matrix has u Signed-off-by: Xe Iaso --- blog/matrix-has-u-2015-11-27.markdown | 76 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 76 insertions(+) create mode 100644 blog/matrix-has-u-2015-11-27.markdown diff --git a/blog/matrix-has-u-2015-11-27.markdown b/blog/matrix-has-u-2015-11-27.markdown new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b4bae25 --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/matrix-has-u-2015-11-27.markdown @@ -0,0 +1,76 @@ +--- +title: Matrix Has U +date: 2015-11-27 +tags: + - matrix + - irc + - legacycontent +--- + +[This is an old post that didn't survive the port of my website from Lua to Go. +I have rescued this post from archive.org. Hope you enjoy 2015 Xena +posting!](conversation://Cadey/enby) + +As a lot of people close to me know, I am a very avid IRC user. I like the +simplicity of IRC and how easy it is to set up your own node. I like how the +protocol is easily scriptable for and think that a lot of the extensions are +well thought out and useful. + +That being said, a lot about the protocol is absolute garbage. It is poorly +understood by nearly all but the most sophisticated developers and a lot of +companies that offer IRC gateways to things half-ass it. Not to mention of +course the other core problem that ircd in 2015 acts the same way as ircd in +2005 did. + +Every time your TCP socket to the server dies, your session is deleted and you +need to start over from scratch. Bouncers basically just make it harder for the +TCP socket to die by having another server with a (hopefully) more stable +connection keep your IRC socket open. You have to verify your identity to a bot +in order to get access to places from another bot, and if you're lucky that +will be done by default and not require additional commands in order to enter +invite-only secret rooms. You'll have to be even luckier to have an IRC server +or bot setup that caches the most recent channel messages so you have context +to what is going on there. Private messages are one-to-one and adding another +person to a conversation means having to create a private channel, meaning you +just bring on the pain points mentioned earlier. + +Things like this are also causing IRC networks to slowly hemmorage users to +things that do the job even worse like Slack, Skype and Telegram. + +It's a mess. There has got to be a better way, one that lets you still have +channel moderation controls, doesn't have clients that look terrible in +comparison, still lets you have file uploads and the like, seamless mobile +integration and not losing messages when connecting from a different device. + +Luckily, we live in the future, and there is an option. This option is +[Matrix](https://matrix.org). + +From a high level, it will look like the new XMPP. It kind of is, but at its +core it is far superior to XMPP in my opinion. Its protocol is nothing more +than JSON over HTTPS. It is built for multi-user rooms from the beginning +instead of [half-assing it in an extension](https://xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0045.html). +Its reference home server [synapse](https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse) +is under the permissive [Apache](https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/blob/master/LICENSE) +license. You can even set up your own homeserver and have it federate to +other home servers, or if you like you can also choose not to. + +You can even join channels hosted on IRC networks like Freenode or Moznet by +joining channels formatted like `#freenode_#ipfs:matrix.org` or their main home +base `#matrix:matrix.org`. The bridging is seamless, with one matrix user +created per active IRC user and vice versa. + +Usage of matrix via the [Vector](https://vector.im/beta) client is very simple: + +1. Sign up for an account by clicking on "Create a New Account" +2. Enter in a valid email address, a password and your desired username +3. Check your email for the activation link +4. Click it and click the button on Vector that says you did so +5. Join a channel and start talking + +My current home-base on Matrix is `#ponydevs:matrix.org` and I'd love see you +in there too. + +TL;DR: IRC is dying, Matrix is a very valid sucessor. Matrix has u. + +To find out more about Matrix, read their [home page](https://matrix.org) or +their [FAQ](https://matrix.org/docs/guides/faq.html).