[windexh8er]

Completely understand where you're coming from and the cost implications. I'm curious about your position on Amazon Prime. It's a loss leader so you're compelled to spend more at Amazon. Are you spending more with Amazon to rationalize the Prime subscription? That's the goal and why they offer it.

You also state...

> I would rather set up a matrix server at a lowendbox vps

...and my guess here is that you're going to spend roughly $2-5/month doing this anyway. Plus your hours invested. This is squarely why I'm willing to donate to Signal via my contribution. There's value in someone making sure that this works for me and those I communicate with on Signal. I manage and control far too many other things - so I'm also with you on having that control, knowing about alternatives and controlling my data when and where it makes sense. But I don't want to be in the business of owning a messaging platform for friends and family and Signal fills that gap in a great way.

My post was purely a positional statement and not meant to be construed as any sort of guilt trip of those who don't contribute.

[2Gkashmiri]

my post was on cost basis. not much. other commenter says 200 rupees which is fine but its the same as netflix.

my point is, if we are doing apples and apples comparison, old free signal competed with whatsapp/telegram. now, it is competing with netflix and prime in terms of cost because whatsapp/telegram is not paid for now.

my point is, if you are paying, why not go all the way and support matrix? signal is pretty hostile towards foss ideology and building your own servers, clients and such. the idea was "diluting the brand" but now its apparent. they wanted the signal brand to remain with the official services only because then they can charge for it.

can't you pay for matrix https://element.io/personal-plans if you do not plan to deal with the hassle of selfhosting which imo many people enjoy.

i understand the network effect of signal/whatsapp/telegram because the whole number directory thing but other than that, what does it have "better" than matrix? assuming tomorrow ALL your friends and their friends of friends use matrix instead of signal, would you feel the difference?

i am not shilling for matrix in particular. this just seems to be the better free software (foss) alternative to signal shenanigans and their disdain towards foss ideology

[5e92cb50239222b]

Not OP. I am in a similar situation, though.

> you're going to spend roughly

Good relatively high-performant virtual machines can be had for $0 a month. I know of at least three different ways of getting them (all 100% legal), plus a few that don't work anymore.

> Plus your hours invested

These hours have payed many times over thanks to knowledge and experience gained from them.