diff --git a/pages/discuss.markdown b/pages/discuss.markdown index 4cc830e..2cf5f27 100644 --- a/pages/discuss.markdown +++ b/pages/discuss.markdown @@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ excerpt: "Introduction to my public instant messaging chats" navigation: true --- +# Discuss + I have a [PUBLICLY LOGGED](https://view.matrix.org/room/!xFKkXCpcnEwgBEQBFt:matrix.org/) instant messaging chatroom for comments to my blog and other things I do. They are connected together by [Matterbridge](https://github.com/42wim/matterbridge/#matterbridge). @@ -47,3 +49,57 @@ I do hope to be able to grow this list in the future. [Telegram]:https://telegram.org/ [Twitch]:https://twitch.tv/ [XMPP]:https://xmpp.org/ + +* * * * * + +## A couple of words on protocols + +* IRC was invented in 1988 and regardless of developing integrated message + storage since then, it's still trivial to setup and runs well on a toaster. My personal + IRC history begins in 2010 as user and since then I have also opered + mostly on Charybdis+Atheme and nowadays on a couple of Ergos. +* XMPP runs on a bit more powerful toaster and the servers talk to each other + without prior approval, it was originally introduced in 1999. I don't have + a record on when I begun using it as all multi-protocol chat apps that were + common even before 2010 supported it. I haven't had a need or desire to selfhost. +* Telegram was introduced in 2013 and is a popular instant messenger with + many open source clients (not server) also on minority platforms (by third + parties). It's favoured by many for stickers and ease-to-use, while that + comes with concern on security and privacy. +* Matrix was introduced in 2014 and I started using it in 2016. Many of the + client and server implementations are heavy, especially on server side requiring what to outside looks + like a constant maintenance to deal with the implementation performance issues, + I am not interested in even trying until the situation significantly improves. + +## And on transports, relays and bridges + +* One of the marketing points of XMPP was to connect to other protocols by + means of transports. They plug into a XMPP server and can be provided either + by yours or be open for other XMPP servers. +* The word relay is often used on bots which copy messages from one protocol/network + and paste (or more simply said relay) it to another. They aren't transparent and thus the + messages from them appear to be coming from bots beginning with the message + sender instead of being completely transparent. This is what is commonly + used on IRC to connect to other IRC networks or protocols. + * Matterbridge regardless of the name acts like a relay. Like IRC and XMPP, + it also runs on a toaster requiring only [the binary](https://github.com/42wim/matterbridge/releases) + and a [config file](https://gitea.blesmrt.net/mikaela/gist/src/branch/master/irc/matterbridge/matterbridge-example.toml) + being trivial to setup anywhere quickly or move around. + * [Recent IRC development allows (RELAYMSG)](https://github.com/ircv3/ircv3-specifications/pull/417) + allows relays to be transparent making messages appear from users outside + of the channel that don't actually exist. This is similar to Discord webhooks + (that Matterbridge also supports) and Matrix Discord bridge. + * Common complaint from Matrix users is that they look ugly, but as shown + by IRC and Discord, that doesn't have to be the case + [and I hope Matrix will fix their issue allowing low-budget "toasterbridges"](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-doc/issues/3222). +* Bridges are popularised by Matrix and are almost XMPP transports. However + while XMPP transports connect to the other protocol, bridges attempt to + copy everything on both sides so Matrix users see each other directly instead + of through the transport on the other side and on the other side of open protocols + Matrix users can be interacted with as if they were native to it. + * Unlike XMPP, the bridges also tend to be heavy and require a full homeserver + setup. The IRC bridge also generally requires blessing from the IRC network + and while some public bridges exist, they move the control away from you + hijacking the room to their rules and often have performance trouble + compared to "local toaster matterbridge". +