If you are curious and courageous, and run #Debian testing or unstable, you might like to try the latest snapshot of #Gajim by @gajim. It features message replies and message reactions.
Expect bugs! This is not a release version, but a snapshot. It's called "experimental" for a reason.
echo "deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ experimental main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/experimental.list
Likely a result of recent Slack shenanigans, the pressure on the matrix.org server is a good reminder of why I should just run my own #matrix instance. It also just adds to my appreciation of how much nicer it is to run and use #xmpp.
@weirdwriter And why is it so hard to opt-out?
They have an option for everything else, but to opt-out of their “AI” looking at your messages and activity you have to… send an email??!
“Contact us to opt out. If you want to exclude your Customer Data from Slack global models, you can opt out. To opt out, please have your org, workspace owners or primary owner contact our Customer Experience team at feedback@slack.com with your workspace/org URL and the subject line ‘Slack global model opt-out request’. We will process your request and respond once the opt-out has been completed.”
@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.
Instant messaging is more complicated than you'd think. Sending a message from one device to another seems simple, but it's hard; especially on mobile. NAT, Firewalls, smartphone battery optimisation are all technical challenges, but then you also got user expectations. Users expect to see the same messages in the same order on every device. They want to be able to send photos, files, locations, voice messages and much more. On top of all that, full end to end encryption is a must have nowadays. Especially if you let average people run their own servers.
Matrix seems overly complex, but once you attempt to reinvent it, you end up with the same level of complexity.
Just pushed a new protoXEP for implementing Remote Control in #XMPP, along with an accompanying implementation in #Libervia!
This is exciting, as it enables not only Remote Desktop, but also controlling devices without video feedback - like using your phone as an ad-hoc touchpad, laptop keyboard to control a Single-board computer, or making automation scripts, and more!
It's designed to be extensible, with plans to add clipboard sharing and gamepad input. Thanks to #NLnet for their support!