Matrix sucks, that's why most people won't use it. I'm already giving my software away for free and providing free support for it, why would I want to take up even more of my free time running and maintaining a Matrix server as well?

Sure, I could use an already available Matrix server but I already have a Discord account, all my friends and contributors do as well and the entire thing is easy to set up and use, plus I'm already running the Discord client too.

On top of this, the argument about searchability is irrelevant. Projects have been giving support via IRC forever which has all the same problems. The best thing to do for any non-trivial support inquiries is to direct the user to lodge a support ticket and always has been.

Matrix just isn't a compelling option, even if it had feature parity with Discord and was easier to use, it doesn't have any real inertia anyway.

[–] fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

From the article.

Free software matters — that’s why you’re writing it, after all. Using Discord partitions your community on either side of a walled garden, with one side that’s willing to use the proprietary Discord client, and one side that isn’t. It sets up users who are passionate about free software — i.e. your most passionate contributors or potential contributors — as second-class citizens.

Maybe you'll take up more of your time answering lazy user's questions than speaking with those that are helpful with solving issues.

Your argument about time is more in favor of Matrix, and even more so in favor of just using your code hosting's issue tracker.

[–] Kushia@lemmy.ml -2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

The article is wrong, you disrespect your users by forcing them to use a platform that they otherwise wouldn't just to engage with you. Github isn't free either, but the majority of us use it for free software too.

[–] chebra@mstdn.io 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

@Kushia @brayd

installing a matrix client and creating a matrix account is exactly as complicated as installing discord app and creating an account there.

[–] Kushia@lemmy.ml -5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

It could install itself and I still wouldn't use it. Nobody I care about is on there and inertia is important too. This has been true since the dawn of real-time communications platforms and isn't going to change either.

[–] chebra@mstdn.io 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

@Kushia 🤷‍♂️ I have the opposite situation, nobody I care about is on discord. So discord sucks? See the thing is if one matrix guy wants to talk to one discord guy, one of them needs to install a new app. And I think the world would be better if we all had more free/libre apps and less walled gardens, so I will strongly resist installing discord. Just yet another proprietary walled garden waiting for the rug-pull. Why? Just convince the other guy to use Matrix and over time our world will improve

[–] Kushia@lemmy.ml -2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

The you're free to use it, that's the great thing about choice.

[–] chebra@mstdn.io 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

@Kushia Of course I am. Now I would appreciate if you didn't come to the open-source community telling everyone how bad they are and that they are never gonna make it. That's a pretty shit move man. Cheers.

[–] Kushia@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I never said it's never going to make it, I said I care about what works for the majority with the least amount of friction.

If you took that as a personal attack that's on you.

[–] chebra@mstdn.io 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

@Kushia such a lovely conversation with you. I'm actually glad you prefer discord.

[–] Kushia@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Why are you so angry over an opinion different to your own?

[–] chebra@mstdn.io 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

@Kushia Not angry, but I would push against an opinion voiced arrogantly even if it was similar to mine. I guess I'm just not high when I'm posting.

[–] Kushia@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Fair enough, I wasn't intending to offend anyone.

If Matrix could compete on both a quality and inertia level I'd use it instead of Discord. I've spent many hours on IRC too. What matters is where the users are and I'd rather spend my time developing software, not doing admin.