content/stands/matrix.md

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   2 description: |
   3   <div style="float:left; padding: 10px"><img src="logo.png" style="max-width: 400px" /></div>
   4   <p><a href="https://matrix.org">Matrix</a> is an open protocol for secure, decentralised
   5    communication - defining an end-to-end-encrypted real-time communication layer
   6    for the open Web suitable for instant messaging, VoIP, microblogging, forums and
   7    more.  We publish Matrix as an <a href="https://matrix.org/docs/spec">open standard</a> under
   8    the open governance of the non-profit <a href="https://matrix.org/foundation">Matrix.org Foundation</a>,
   9    and release Apache-licensed reference implementations of the protocol for server,
  10    client SDKs, bots, bridges & more.  Some users may recognise Matrix via client
  11    apps such as Element (https://element.io, formerly Riot).</p>
  12
  13   <p>Matrix works
  14    by replicating conversation history across servers which participate in a given
  15    conversation, ensuring that ownership of the conversation is fully decentralised:
  16    no single server owns or controls the conversation, just as git repositories are
  17    cloned equally between all participants.  As a result, you can think of Matrix
  18    more like a global decentralised object database with realtime pubsub semantics,
  19    rather than a traditional message-passing protocol.  The protocol defines HTTPS+JSON
  20    APIs as a baseline, but more efficient transports and encodings are supported
  21    and encouraged.</p>
  22
  23   <p>The public Matrix network on the internet has over 26M
  24    addressable users spread over ~60K servers, ranging in size from personal RPis
  25    through to massive deployments for organisations including Mozilla, the Wikimedia
  26    Foundation, German schools in Schleswig-Holstein & Hamburg, and the entirety of
  27    the French Government.</p>
  28 layout: stand
  29 logo: stands/matrix/logo.png
  30 new_this_year: |
  31   <p>2020 was a busy year for Matrix.</p>
  32   <ul>
  33   <li>Mozilla turned off IRC and
  34     migrated to Matrix in March: https://matrix.org/blog/2020/03/03/moznet-irc-is-dead-long-live-mozilla-matrix</li>
  35   <li>After loads of testing, we finally turned on end-to-end encryption by default
  36     for all private rooms in May: https://matrix.org/blog/2020/05/06/cross-signing-and-end-to-end-encryption-by-default-is-here</li>
  37   <li>We finally fixed our performance problems on the overloaded matrix.org server
  38     by horizontally sharding Synapse: https://matrix.org/blog/2020/11/03/how-we-fixed-synapses-scalability</li>
  39   <li>We started to see more academic research emerging on Matrix, particularly analysing
  40     the properties of state resolution (how we keep Matrix rooms securely replicated
  41     in a byzantine fault tolerant manner): https://matrix.org/blog/2020/06/16/matrix-decomposition-an-independent-academic-analysis-of-matrix-state-resolution</li>
  42   <li>Dendrite (our next-gen Golang Matrix server) entered beta in October, steadily
  43     improving ever since: https://matrix.org/blog/2020/10/08/dendrite-is-entering-beta</li>
  44   <li>Gitter joined Matrix in October, with native Matrix support launching in December:
  45     https://matrix.org/blog/2020/12/07/gitter-now-speaks-matrix</li>
  46   <li>We started working
  47     on Decentralised Reputation as a mechanism for empowering users to filter out
  48     abuse or other unwanted content in Matrix (thus *finally* catching up with our
  49     FOSDEM 2017 talk on the subject: https://archive.fosdem.org/2017/schedule/event/matrix_future/):
  50     https://matrix.org/blog/2020/10/19/combating-abuse-in-matrix-without-backdoors</li>
  51   <li>We launched Cerulean, a wildly experimental proof-of-concept to experiment
  52     with threads demonstrate the viability of twitter-style microblogging on Matrix
  53     (including an initial implementation of decentralised reputation!): https://matrix.org/blog/2020/12/18/introducing-cerulean</li>
  54   <li>We got the first messages flowing over Decentralised MLS (Messaging Layer Security),
  55     giving logarithmic rather than linear complexity E2EE.</li>
  56   </ul>
  57   <p>In 2021, we plan
  58     to add:</p>
  59   <ul>
  60   <li>Spaces - shareable hierarchies of rooms, effectively making Matrix
  61     a decentralised hierarchical filesystem for realtime data!</li>
  62   <li>Threads - full
  63     support for free-form threaded conversations</li>
  64   <li>Full Social Login (log in via
  65     Github, Gitlab, or as wide a choice of SSO providers as you like)</li>
  66   <li>Massively
  67     improved VoIP</li>
  68   <li>Voice messages, Location sharing, Custom emoji, Canonical
  69     DMs...</li>
  70   <li>...and reworking E2EE, again, to improve reliability and performance.</li>
  71   </ul>
  72 showcase: |
  73   <p>Matrix is an open protocol for secure decentralised communication, aiming
  74   to bust open the closed proprietary communication silos (Slack, Teams, Discord,
  75   WhatsApp etc) which have dominated in recent years.  On our stand you'll be able
  76   to sync via chat & video conference directly with the core Matrix team, get demos
  77   of all the latest stuff we've been working on, and generally learn how to liberate
  78   your communication and join the open Matrix communication network.</p>
  79 themes:
  80 - Office suites and productivity
  81 title: Matrix
  82 website: https://matrix.org
  83 show_on_overview: true
  84 chatroom: matrix
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