| Why in the world would anybody use Matrix if you made it closed-source (as you've so cleverly disguised it, """open""" core)? I use it daily to talk to pretty much everyone I know. It isn't as good as other open-core messaging projects. You guys based your entire value pitch on "OtherPlatform but Actually in the Spirit of Open Source." You aren't as good as Signal at being secure. https://nebuchadnezzar-megolm.github.io/ You aren't as good as Telegram at being useful or comfortable, and you're especially not as good for groups. Signal is in practice open core, given how little they do source releases of the server. Telegram keeps their clients open source, mostly, but not the server. The value you provide is from the fact that it's open source and also easy to develop for, but you aren't even as easy to develop for as IRC. Laying in bed with the wolves of capitalism is stupid for a project like yours. Bid on government projects and grants, fundraise based on features, or figure out projects that benefit from economies of scale that would leave you competitive (P2P Matrix dedicated hardware would be an easy sell to some governments and much of your audience) while not closed. Don't fool yourself into thinking destroying the thing that makes your creation valuable is the way to succeed. It's not. If you've already started with layoffs, the damage might already be done. |
Matrix is a protocol. People can use it whatever the license of the implementations. "Open core" means that implementations would have to start holding back the stuff useful for commercial deployments as proprietary. Unless you happen to be running a deployment for a government or a similar-sized enterprise, I suspect you'd be unaffected.
> You aren't as good as Signal at being secure.
All software has vulnerabilities, and anyone who claims otherwise is lying. Signal has had spectacular disasters (much worse than the RHUL stuff, imo) like https://thehackerblog.com/i-too-like-to-live-dangerously-acc....
> You aren't as good as Telegram at being useful or comfortable, and you're especially not as good for groups.
Agreed. This is why the original post fixates on how to address that.
> The value you provide is from the fact that it's open source and also easy to develop for, but you aren't even as easy to develop for as IRC.
Respectfully, that's bollocks.
> If you've already started with layoffs, the damage might already be done.
Merry Christmas to you too :)