[Normille]

  >Use Matrix clients (Element, Fluffy chat) or Session, Briar...

With those other clients you mention, one of the reasons your communications will remain secure is that --because so few people use them-- you'll struggle to find anyone to message, in the first place.

[Markoff]

Sure, but in that case you can just go with Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger with WA being at least E2E by default, no point even trying some "alternatives" as Signal or Telegram under pretense of security.

With Telegram I can see at least appeal in using it as news source, chat room or for bots, but what offers Signal besides hype about The Current Thing?

Signal uses centralized server with closed source (they hidden code for one year until they finally gave up when users nagged them, nobody knows what they did during that year), Signal requires your phone number, Signal doesn't allow third party apps officially and tried to push some shady crypto, I mean how many red flags you need to avoid such POS app?

[Normille]

  >With Telegram I can see at least appeal in using it as news source, chat room or for bots, but what offers Signal besides hype about The Current Thing?...

I use Telegram as a less 'facebooky' alternative to WhatsApp. Most of my friends and all my family are on it and, as a convenient messenger, it has a lot going for it; fast, 100% reliable sync across all my devices, generous file transfers, ability to quickly ping someone your location, ability to set up and subscribe to channels, etc. etc.

It also has some infuriatingly shite 'features' such as the fact that one party in a conversation can delete messages from the other party's device and [as is oft-mentioned] the fact that comms are not E2E encrypted by default. But, on the whole, I reckon it's the best all-round messenger app out there. Just so long as you're not under any illusion that your comms are in any way secure.

[wallaBBB]

With the amount of fake news being pushed through Telegram groups that are public, Telegram is by far more Facebooky than WhatsApp. Ukrainian war disinformation and crypto scams being a good example of Facebookiness on Telegram.

[Normille]

Fair point. But at least, on Telegram, you have to actively seek out such channels to join and they don't otherwise impinge on your use of the service. It's not like other social media outlets where there's a central site which endlessly shoves crap you don't want to see in your face, every time you visit.

And yes, I know that, strictly speaking 'Telegram != social media'. But, with Telegram Channels, it does kind of cross over into the 'Discordy' end of social media.

[ls15]

I think you are underestimating exponential growth:

https://news.itsfoss.com/matrix-sixty-million-users/

[Semaphor]

I think you are overestimating. I know more Jabber users than Matrix. And the overlap with people I’m in actual contact with, as opposed to people I used to study C.Sc. with, is 0 for both.