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Matrix

Image by KDE

Instant messaging - secure and decentralized

Matrix is an open network for secure, end-to-end encrypted, decentralized communication. It's great for chatting with friends (including group chats), file exchange and rooms to discuss specific topics.

It works a little like email, but instantaneous and secure. Once set up it's just like your standard everyday messenger on your phone. You can find out exactly how it works on the Matrix webpage.

Matrix is an open network for secure, end-to-end encrypted, decentralized communication. It's great for chatting with friends (including group chats), file exchange and rooms to discuss specific topics.

It works a little like email, but instantaneous and secure. Once set up it's just like your standard everyday messenger on your phone. You can find out exactly how it works on the Matrix webpage.

Why Matrix

WhatsApp has end-to-end encryption. So it must be secure, right? Incorrect. Yes, the encryption is real - but to decrypt encrypted data you just need the right key. And here's the catch: you have no idea what happens to that key. Where is it generated? Where is it stored? You can't find out, because WhatsApp is closed-source, proprietary software. You can't audit it, you can't verify it, and you can't prove that no one else but yourself has this key.

Having the encryption key allows full visibility into your messages, pictures and whatever else you send.

In addition, companies and governments are implementing various methods in messengers that can be used to store and spy on messages - often under the pretext of combating terrorism and/or child pornography. This approach goes way too far and essentially puts everyone under general suspicion.

You have nothing to hide? In this case, hand over all your chats and all your photos in your gallery!

Jokes aside. Now think again... You wouldn't share your chats and photos in your gallery with me. So why do you think it's a good idea to share them with governments or large companies? Do you like being profiled? If this is our default definition of messaging, it will ultimately lead to a system with total surveillance.

Now, before you start panicking: There are solutions. You can install Signal, because it's secure, it's open-source and the encryption key is generated by your device and never leaves it. But then there is still the problem that it's centralized. This means Signal can be shut down and never come back.

Matrix is the solution to all of that.

How to use Matrix

Choosing the app: In the same way you can use Outlook or Thunderbird with the same email account, you can use different Matrix apps for the same Matrix account. The most popular app is probably Element but there are also many others.

Choosing the server: You need to register an account at a provider. Because I self-host a Matrix server, I myself am a provider (matrix.cycasc.net). But there are also plenty other servers to choose from. That's the whole point of having a decentralized communication platform. Check out this list of public homeservers. Whatever your provider is, you can talk to people using other providers.

How to use the Cycasc homeserver?

Start chatting!

You can contact me via my Matrix ID @dunkelklinge1:matrix.cycasc.net.
Let me know if you are using my homeserver!

Custom notification service (for advanced users)

I run a UnifiedPush gateway via ntfy if you want to ditch Google Firebase for notifications: https://ntfy.cycasc.net

Using the Cycasc Matrix homeserver

If you want to use my homeserver, than enter matrix.cycasc.net as the homeserver address in the Matrix client of your choice (typing it in a browser will just open the web version of the Element client).

Note: Your account is tied to the homeserver you created it on and your full account name will include the homeserver name of your choice. For example, if you are going to create your account on my own homeserver, your Matrix user name will be @yournickname:matrix.cycasc.net and other people (including those from most other homeservers) will be able to contact you by this name.

It's possible to have multiple accounts on different homeservers.