HN Users Ask How to Get Family and Friends on XMPP or Matrix Instead of SMS

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A software developer who self-hosts open messaging protocols asks how others persuaded non-technical family and friends to leave SMS and WhatsApp for XMPP or Matrix. The poster says those users value ease of use, reliability, and fun features more than privacy or decentralization. They found the existing XMPP and Matrix clients either mimic Slack or Discord or feel clumsy, and they note that SMS between iOS and Android loses features in group chats. The post invites commenters to share their pitches and suggestions for making these protocols appealing to everyday users. The discussion on Hacker News had 11 points and 6 comments at the time of posting.

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ProgrammingDEV Community ·

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