CoMaps now has more than 7k subscribers across different social media platforms – today reaching 7,777. And the biggest growth is on open-source platforms:
Mastodon - distributed microblogging
Matrix - distributed group messaging
Lemmy - distributed discussion communities
Bluesky - microblogging
Pixelfed - Photos
SimpleX - private messaging
If you have not tried these, check them out!
Note Matrix.org, the largest and default server, is running a commercial closed-source server implementation.
Pick another server if you want to use open-source software and services.
Or pick xmpp instead, the reliable lightweight completely foss alternative.
Just blows me away that XMPP isn't the standard, it's been around so long.
The early IM apps all used it, AOL messenger, the now defunct Google platform (forget the name), many others. Oh, Pidgin, how I miss using you to connect all these services.
I use XMPP today for my SMS. My cell vendor (jmp.chat) pipes all my SMS into XMPP, and I access it via an app - Cheogram or Monocles on Android, Snikket on iOS, Gajim on Windows/Linux. I get SMS whether the phone is on or off. I don't even get regular SMS on my phone anymore, I even have the native SMS app disabled.
I was thinking of going the jmp.chat route when Skype(in) was killed for being too popular and reliable. How's it work for reliability?
(It was gChat and then gTalk that used xmpp until Google sparkle-addicts rewrote their own like Bender. And during that one magical month, one could private-chat between Fb and gTalk seamlessly. It was bliss)
I've had no problems with the SMS to XMPP part.
Voice calls have been problematic, but I suspect that's my phone (I have 2 Pixels using it, only one had voice call quality issues, the other is fine).
Since I don't really use voice, it's not an issue for me. For the one phone, I just got a SIM from US Mobile and use that for voice calls, since SMS is no longer tied to the SIM!