Just a reminder, telegram is NOT secure at all. Telegram is NOT end-to-end encryptes by default, and they are not disclosing this fact peoperly, which makes them untrustworthy and not a tool against growing online surveilance

The problem with Matrix is that it sucks. It's so comically laggy that you'd be able to have a conversation more efficiently in a Lemmy comments section than in a Matrix room. Consequences of trying to make a scalable backend for a real-time app in fucking Python, I suppose.

Look, I once got everyone I know to switch to matrix (Riot, before element) and they depracated the client, made everyone redo their encryption keys, it was a huge mess. Nobody will ever listen to me ever again about a messaging app because of what new vector did with riot.

Matrix is too janky for people. Use something else. Simplex, signal, whatever.

Beyond that, the key is breaking this "one more app" mentality. Why is it so hard to have an app on your phone? These people would install the Starbucks app for a single free milkshake in a heartbeat. This expectation that everyone and everything can be done in one app is absurd, and it's marketing by the big companies to lock people in when there's no reason for it. your phone runs apps. What's the big deal?

And that starts with you. make yourself available on multiple different messengers as possible. Don't say "I use matrix", youre being inflexible. Use everything that doesn't collect your contacts and spy on you. Use telegram, but tell people telegram isn't encrypted. I personally have matrix, XMPP, session, signal, simplex, telegram, and I even have a discord but I never use it. I fall back to email if I have to. Be flexible if you expect others to be, be available to communicate with in as many ways as you can privately to incentivize people to switch, give them options and let them pick.

1. I set up a home server with a litany of bridges.

2. I show them all my chats from multiple platforms in one app.

3. They ask me for an account.

You could buy them a drink to install it. That's how I got my family onto Signal. I also got my GF onto Element, but she's also obligated to put up with my shit

Easier to get new friends and family who are already there

I'm in the process of trying to convince my company to switch to Matrix. I've setup a test server and the execs are tepidly giving it a whirl.

The problem is, we use Teams, Microsoft has its proverbial foot in our door, people are used to Teams and don't really want to switch, and the company doesn't care enough about privacy and data sovereignty to overcome the inertia and the learning curve.

They listen politely to my arguments and they agree that it would be better if Microsoft didn't get all our data, but ultimately they really don't care at all.

Sorry to break it to you, but Matrix is (for all practical purposes) run by a UK based company. If you are concerned about UK legislation, they are one of the worst to switch to as they will likely have little choice but to comply.

Better use XMPP, which is fully independent of any single company running everything behind the curtains.

You don't persuade them. They've already made their decision. Now you have to make yours. Their reasons for not wanting to switch are just as valid as yours for wanting to.

So, you either switch and accept that some of the people in your life don't actually care enough to come with you, or you're the one that has to adapt to multiple apps to communicate with others. That's really what it boils down to. Most people don't care about the matter, and there's a segment of people in most of our lives that don't care about us if there's any inconvenience involved.

Some of them made alternate suggestions, which means they're willing to go through some inconvenience for you, just not the specific inconvenience of having an app that only you and they will be using.

Despite now having storage space for multiple messaging apps, people resist the idea of having more than whatever arbitrary number they've decided doesn't work. In some cases, that number may be one. And the truth is that remembering who is connected via what app/service is a pain in the ass if there's enough people in your life. Some people can't handle that memory issue and are just going to refuse outright out of necessity.

So, stop trying to change their minds and seek compromise. If they're willing to switch to telegram, you can at least have some degree of encryption, so go with that for anyone that's expressed willingness. Let that core group become the reason for anyone else to join in.

Unless you just want to play hardball and refuse to communicate with anyone on anything but your choice. There will be some that cave and join in. But you'd be amazed how many people and which people don't really want to talk to you enough to do so. But you'll have a small group of people that are now using it with you. You'll have to help them get set up, and be prepared for the inevitable tech support you're volunteering to provide, as well as the need to guide them through the learning curve of it.

"Installing APP does not require you to switch to it nor asking friends and family to use it. What it does is allowing them to reach out to you in a private way. By installing it you respect and support their choice of avoiding BAD_APP."

On the sidenote: Just recommend Signal. It uses phone number as identifier, easy to grow by using phone book, has good track record when glowies have a warrant and most importantly it's stable. It has flaws (no sms, not saving chat history) but there are no other alternatives available yet that beat signal for normies.

Bro I can't even convince them to join me on Signal... It even syncs contacts w/ mobile number so it's just a matter of downloading a stupid app and you're set... I think one day I'll be brave enough and just disappear from whatsapp.

If they don't want to then don't continue trying to persuade them. Chances are they don't care about privacy anyway, and even if they do, everyone has their own personal preferences.

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I've actually looked at matter most as an alternative

i tried and i failed. not because my friends didn't want to switch, but because the software is hillariously bad. problems with the encryption left and right, smaller instances having downtimes multiple times a week (what's the use of a federated service if anyone only uses the same one server?), buggy clients - after a few months we shut it down and moved to threema for groupchats.

Not a lot really. Also, until element gets easier key management for encryption i wouldnt suggest it. I understand public/private keys and session verification and still can never restore matrix from backups without it saying "waiting for message" and it never decrypting even though all the keys imported fine. Its a PITA