Some things to keep in mind if you’re getting started with Matrix after having been on Discord:
End-to-end encryption is available, but you might want to disable it when you create a room. This will help keep things simple for your users as they get familiar with Matrix. Connections between client and server will still be encrypted using HTTPS, which is the same level of encryption that Discord has. (And if it’s a public room, e2ee wouldn’t have any value anyway.) You can always add end-to-end encryption to your rooms later.
A few terms used on Discord are different in the Matrix ecosystem…
Discord term
Matrix term
channel
room
server
space
discord.com
homeserver (there are many)
If you don’t like the first Matrix client you try, consider trying others. Much like email clients, the features and user interface styles vary. The blog post mentions Cinny and Commet. Element X is probably the simplest mobile client with Matrix’s recent fast-startup feature (though it’s still catching up on other features). More clients are listed here.
Voice and video chat in Matrix are currently available only on some clients, and it’s done by integrating Jitsi. Not ideal, but still useful for at least some use cases. A better system is in development. Here’s a preview of it: https://call.element.io/
Matrix.org is by far the largest public homeserver. It’s convenient in that anyone can get an account without having to run their own homeserver, but it can also suffer slowdowns when an influx of users are arriving all at once, such as right now. You can choose to be patient, or look for a different public homeserver, or pay for a homeserver host, or (if you have the means) self-host.
Matrix.org and some other public homeservers ask for an email address when you sign up, so that they have a way to recover your account if you forget your password. It’s not required by The Matrix protocol, though, and some servers might allow new accounts with no contact info at all. I don’t know which ones; you’ll have to hunt for one (or run your own) if that’s what you want.
The blog post mentions account portability, which is not yet available in Matrix. This means that your user ID (@user:example.com) is currently tied to the homeserver where you create it (example.com). If you decide to switch to an account on another homeserver, you’ll have to get re-invited into any private chats you had joined with the old account. However, the rooms you create on your original homeserver are not tied to that server. So long as at least one room member is on another homeserver, the room will carry on (with its original ID) even if its original homeserver vanishes. This means, for example, that you could create a room on matrix.org today, and migrate its admin duties to an account on your own private homeserver that you set up a year from now. (Or even invite all your members to migrate to your private homeserver.)
I’m sorry, but most people are familiar with discord terminology. 20-30 years of history is of no consequence since the popular meaning and understanding of terminology has changed. It would’ve been at least acceptable if they used Server->Room->Channel structure (same as in teamspeak), but this is pure “We reinvent the wheel” syndrome.
Discord didn’t exist when Matrix was invented, and Teamspeak was never influential enough in the world for its conventions to matter outside of its own user base.
You seem to be overestimating the breadth and importance of your personal experience.
Words are fun. A related word would be lieutenant. There was some scifi detective series about a time traveler who came from the Revolutionary period into modern times and helped a woman cop. Mid 2000s? Anyway, they tried to be somewhat accurate and used the word as it’s pronounced for centuries before being Americanized, “leftenent”. And in looking it up, the history and arguments over when and why are themselves interesting.
Some things to keep in mind if you’re getting started with Matrix after having been on Discord:
End-to-end encryption is available, but you might want to disable it when you create a room. This will help keep things simple for your users as they get familiar with Matrix. Connections between client and server will still be encrypted using HTTPS, which is the same level of encryption that Discord has. (And if it’s a public room, e2ee wouldn’t have any value anyway.) You can always add end-to-end encryption to your rooms later.
A few terms used on Discord are different in the Matrix ecosystem…
If you don’t like the first Matrix client you try, consider trying others. Much like email clients, the features and user interface styles vary. The blog post mentions Cinny and Commet. Element X is probably the simplest mobile client with Matrix’s recent fast-startup feature (though it’s still catching up on other features). More clients are listed here.
Voice and video chat in Matrix are currently available only on some clients, and it’s done by integrating Jitsi. Not ideal, but still useful for at least some use cases. A better system is in development. Here’s a preview of it: https://call.element.io/
Matrix.org is by far the largest public homeserver. It’s convenient in that anyone can get an account without having to run their own homeserver, but it can also suffer slowdowns when an influx of users are arriving all at once, such as right now. You can choose to be patient, or look for a different public homeserver, or pay for a homeserver host, or (if you have the means) self-host.
Matrix.org and some other public homeservers ask for an email address when you sign up, so that they have a way to recover your account if you forget your password. It’s not required by The Matrix protocol, though, and some servers might allow new accounts with no contact info at all. I don’t know which ones; you’ll have to hunt for one (or run your own) if that’s what you want.
The blog post mentions account portability, which is not yet available in Matrix. This means that your user ID (@user:example.com) is currently tied to the homeserver where you create it (example.com). If you decide to switch to an account on another homeserver, you’ll have to get re-invited into any private chats you had joined with the old account. However, the rooms you create on your original homeserver are not tied to that server. So long as at least one room member is on another homeserver, the room will carry on (with its original ID) even if its original homeserver vanishes. This means, for example, that you could create a room on matrix.org today, and migrate its admin duties to an account on your own private homeserver that you set up a year from now. (Or even invite all your members to migrate to your private homeserver.)
They just had to invent new terminology. Also it seems their room join links have two different incompatible formats.
Matrix predates Discord, and room in this context predates both Matrix and Discord by about 20-30 years. They didn’t invent it.
Server as used by Discord has always been a conspicuous misuse of the word. It’s no wonder that Matrix chose not to adopt that nonsense.
I’m sorry, but most people are familiar with discord terminology. 20-30 years of history is of no consequence since the popular meaning and understanding of terminology has changed. It would’ve been at least acceptable if they used Server->Room->Channel structure (same as in teamspeak), but this is pure “We reinvent the wheel” syndrome.
This is like going to Britain and being mad they’re using British words for things.
DON’T U KNOW AMERICA IS MORE INFLUENTIAL CHANGE UR WORDS BRITAIN!!!1!
/s
Discord didn’t exist when Matrix was invented, and Teamspeak was never influential enough in the world for its conventions to matter outside of its own user base.
You seem to be overestimating the breadth and importance of your personal experience.
So this should be posted on a subLemmy? Reddit has a large history of terminology. People have adjusted to saying communities fine.
I was using the “room” concept on Q-Link (Quantum Link) 40 years ago. You know, when we had to connect on slow lines. Uphill, both ways.
Haha…
Imagine Commodore 64 users denouncing a useful computing system for calling its own core a kernel instead of a kernal. (Or vice-versa.)
Realistic C-64 users: “It’s a misspelling in an early Commodore document that just carried over.”
Rabid C-64 users: “It’s not a word, it’s an ACRONYM!”
Me: I didn’t even realize it was wrong or knew it was a thing, then or now. TIL I think I saw “kernel” in my mind.
Actually it’s spelled colonel >.>
Words are fun. A related word would be lieutenant. There was some scifi detective series about a time traveler who came from the Revolutionary period into modern times and helped a woman cop. Mid 2000s? Anyway, they tried to be somewhat accurate and used the word as it’s pronounced for centuries before being Americanized, “leftenent”. And in looking it up, the history and arguments over when and why are themselves interesting.
Thank you for bringing perspective, levity, and humility to an otherwise unfortunate thread. You brought a smile to my face.