@art_codesmith With a literal interpretation, "everyone" didn't - #XMPP is still actively used by many people, knowingly or unknowingly. Some people use interoperable XMPP services such as Snikket or one of the many public XMPP providers. Others self-host (Snikket, Prosody, ejabberd, etc.). And many more use it unknowingly via WhatsApp, Zoom, MoyaApp, etc.
The problem with the latter services is that they don't interoperate with others, but the EU's DMA regulations are aiming to change that.
@art_codesmith Yep! They just don't like to shout about it 🤫
They want to benefit technically from XMPP without their users benefiting from it - specifically they would rather not allow federation (to keep the walls up around their garden) and not allow users to use/build alternative clients, that kind of thing.
The EU has been working to change this. E.g., it's now possible, if you sign some stuff and meet some criteria, to get official access to WhatsApp's (customized) XMPP API.
@art_codesmith What happened (which is likely what sparked your initial random thought) is that well over a decade ago we all had a collective dream of open interoperable messaging. This was encouraged by Google Talk using XMPP openly and having millions of users. Unfortunately they changed their mind on that openness eventually. That was a big blow to everyone who believed in the dream. But XMPP itself didn't die, and the community and ecosystem is very active.
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