XMPP, but also Delta Chat! The Webxdc apps for Delta work in XMPP client Cheogram despite there being no cross-compatibility between the networks. It can access ordinary email servers so long as they were not set up maliciously (Apple, M$, Gmail, etc). It can do a couple things XMPP cannot, but it’s not suitable for anyone outside close friends and family. I basically only use it for email, automation, and other personal matters. XMPP is for general use and can replace Discord. The Movim project looks very cool they have a community here also join their XMPP chat. Cheogram services can connect to the regular phone network.

Ask in the Sharkey Discord (sorry that’s the only place they are) if any better forks have arisen than Sharkey yet. They’ll be frank

Which fork?

Nice, I’m gonna try that. I use SingleFile.

Never cared for the way this fellow tries to argue that everything is too difficult to be useful. I’ve gotten plenty of friends and family on XMPP and the clients that don’t have encryption on by default are easy to remember. Really blowing it out of proportion.

Honestly, what do security researchers like this even know about normal people? They sit through all kinds of inconveniences to use Facebook. This is a thought experiment.

Some of these are valid criticisms, of course, a lot of XMPP stuff feels like it from the 2010s. It’s still the only real option. Matrix client or server is bloated garbage, theu moved server fixes into a walled garden, its development is dependent on funding from the USA National Endowment for Democracy technology fund. Signal has similar funding issues and is very shady with its centralization, trust issues, demanding phone numbers. Sets users up to leak all kinds of stuff in notifications like Matrix.

The strange insistence that only Signal meets their requirements makes me skeptical, as does the way they have operated in Github threads. They seem like an emotional nightmare to work with.

Because it’s not shiny and new? I think the simple stuff works great with the shiny stuff. Command line tools are great for weaving in NTFY pings to our fancy pocket communicators with all kinds of information.