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Posts by Matthew Hodgson

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🥁 The Matrix.org Foundation has published its first Public Annual Report! 📊

👀 Have a peek into our day-to-day and check out what we’ve been working on in 2025. It also includes a report of our finances and the plan for 2026! Enjoy!

➡️ The blog: matrix.org/blog/2026/03...

3 weeks ago 22 13 0 2
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Analysis of reported issues in vodozemac Matrix, the open protocol for secure decentralised communications

Our analysis of reported issues in vodozemac: matrix.org/blog/2026/02...

2 months ago 26 9 0 1
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When chat history matters most As limits land on some free self-hosted collaboration tools, more teams are turning to ESS Community - our free-use, open source Matrix distribution.

💬 When chat history matters most

As limits hit free self-hosted tools, more teams are turning to ESS Community - our free, open-source Matrix distribution.

✔️ Unlimited history
✔️ Voice & video
✔️ E2EE
✔️ Open & sovereign by design

Built on Matrix, with advanced org controls available in ESS Pro👇

3 months ago 24 11 0 1
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Transcript of Matrix Live S11E07 - Reflections on Matrix criticism over the last week Transcript of Matrix Live S11E07 - Reflections on Matrix criticism over the last week - matrix-live-s1107.md

right. we are the final stages of entirely replacing Classic with X; the old app hasn't been touched for ~2.5y. It's taken ages due to tragedy-of-the-commons problems: gist.github.com/ara4n/190ad7... gives an idea. (That said, Classic *should* work atm, but it's certainly been wobbly in the past)

4 months ago 3 0 0 0

Which app has been giving problems in the past though? Element Classic or Element X? (Element X should be rock solid; Element Classic... less so)

4 months ago 2 0 1 0

for an org that wants to have a single dep on AWS/Azure etc, i’m not sure we can do much tbh. That said, p2p matrix work is under way again which could be a workaround of sorts, but “run a backup server on a different provider” isn’t that bad: non-geeks seem to understand “use your backup account” 🤷

4 months ago 0 0 0 0

which client/platform/version is this happening with? (do you happen to have a bug number?)

4 months ago 0 0 1 0

It’s like Git: even if GitHub explodes you can always keep working via another clone. We will eventually get to genuine account portability and multihomed accounts, but meanwhile keeping a backup acct around is a low tech but very effective workaround.

4 months ago 0 0 0 0
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Matrix.org Matrix, the open protocol for secure decentralised communications

Sure! a typical approach is to have backup accounts on another server in the same conversations. For instance, I have both @matthew:matrix.org and @matthew:element.io in important rooms; matrix.org sits behind CF and element.io is on AWS, and so you can continue relatively uninterrupted.

4 months ago 0 0 2 0
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E2EE Direct Messaging in Bluesky with Matrix Matrix Conference 2025 See a demo of E2EE encrypted DMs in Bluesky powered by Matrix. We will highlight the simple user experience and other advantages of this approach to adding E2EE to Bluesky.

I speak next week about our work to add E2EE DMs in Bluesky using the Matrix protocol. The event will be live streamed by the Matrix conference.

cfp.2025.matrix.org/matrix-conf-...

We will launch a Bluesky service using this technology soon.

@arathorn.net @kurtopsahl.bsky.social @micahflee.com

6 months ago 82 22 7 5
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Hiding room metadata from servers Every year, Element takes on a small number of summer interns to work on various research and development projects. Internships are a significant part of our culture, and ~20% of the current Element e...

🚀 We’re pleased to showcase the work of our summer intern, Skye, who made a big impact with their work on encrypted state events.

The blog post breaks down the project in detail.

element.io/blog/hiding-...

6 months ago 24 11 0 0

This was the most fun i'd had in ages :D

7 months ago 10 0 1 0

BCD ftw!

7 months ago 1 0 0 0

yup. for instance, the deltachat folks are currently trying to differentiate from Matrix by saying that they have never needed a coordinated proto update… as all their clients use the same impl: delta.chat/en/2025-08-0.... So now I know how the XMPP folks felt, in terms of questionable comparisons.

7 months ago 5 1 0 0

On the plus side, I’m not aware of much/any anti-XMPP sentiment on the Matrix side (other than that the perception from back in 2014): the competition is very unambiguously centralised proprietary chat/voip providers, rather than other open source/standard msging protocols.

7 months ago 5 0 1 1

However, the damage was done, and to this day there is *incredible* hostility from some XMPP folks (which may have happened anyway, i guess), blaming us for diluting work on open IM protocols. This does seem to be factional, sadly, and is reminiscent of the AP v ATP grief.

7 months ago 4 0 1 0

It’s more nuanced, sadly: in the very beginning of Matrix (Sep 2014), I did position it as a reaction to XMPP… because that was what it was. This caused extreme irritation with XMPP fans, which in retrospect could & should have been avoided. We consciously stopped making the comparison in ~Dec 2014.

7 months ago 2 3 3 1

we need one of these for Matrix & XMPP too :) (and probably Linux & *BSD. and vi and emacs…)

7 months ago 7 0 1 0
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Project Hydra: Improving state resolution in Matrix Matrix, the open protocol for secure decentralised communications

We’ve now published the details of the security issues which we addressed in Monday’s coordinated security release of Matrix: read all about Project Hydra at matrix.org/blog/2025/08... and please upgrade your servers and rooms where applicable.

8 months ago 14 12 0 0
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Actions such as message sending or invites is failing in a small subset of rooms Matrix's Status Page - Actions such as message sending or invites is failing in a small subset of rooms.

status.matrix.org/incidents/8g... - we’re having to restore the broken rooms from backup, which is taking a while; sorry.

9 months ago 1 0 0 0
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This Week in Matrix 2025-06-06 Matrix, the open protocol for secure decentralised communications

Project Aurora, the EU adopting Matrix for cybersecurity crisis management, and significant improvements in the rust SDK thanks to DINUM's HackDays.

That and more happened This Week in Matrix!

matrix.org/blog/2025/06...

10 months ago 29 12 1 0
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How do you manage group chats in a messaging app?

Use our identity management and group access controls to synchronise with sources such as Microsoft Active Directory.

Element gives governments a consumer-style messaging app, but with enterprise-grade control.

element.io/blog/how-ele...

1 year ago 22 11 0 1

"Age verification" laws are actually "upload your ID or get your face scanned to access every website, ending anonymity and associating your identity with everything you do online" laws and if more people understood that they would not be down for this authoritarian nonsense

1 year ago 38365 15160 360 311
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Matrix.org Matrix, the open protocol for secure decentralised communications

Exciting news! The Matrix Foundation homeserver will migrate to the all new matrix-authentication-service on April 7th, with an expected downtime of 1h between 7am and 8am UTC.

More details about the impact for your on our blog.

matrix.org/blog/2025/04...

1 year ago 28 14 0 0
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US shows the risk of running a government by Signal The Trump administration’s spectacular security breach, in which it seemingly shared details of a planned military strike in Yemen with a journalist, highlights just what can go wrong if you use consu...

Welcome to the Wild West of consumer messaging apps within governments. It’s not a one off. It’s not just the Trump administration. Governments have to put a serious alternative in place, combining the usability and E2EE of messaging apps with enterprise-grade oversight and control.

1 year ago 37 22 2 3
The road to mainstream Matrix [LWN.net]

Matrix provides an open network for secure, decentralized communication. At FOSDEM 2025, Matrix project lead Matthew Hodgson discussed the history of Matrix, its missteps in chasing mainstream adoption, its current status, and some of the wishlist features for taking Matrix into the mainstream.

1 year ago 8 2 0 1
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We're at a crossroads Matrix, the open protocol for secure decentralised communications

@matrix.org has gone from $0 to $561K in recurring revenue in just 2 years. But our expenses run $1.2M/yr. We've burned through reserves and are at a crossroads.

YOU have a role to play in shaping what happens next: matrix.org/blog/2025/02...

#Matrix #IndieWeb #FOSS #OpenSource #Privacy #Security

1 year ago 24 13 2 0
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Running outdated versions of Synapse is a problem If you’re still using the old Apache-licensed Synapse version 1.98.0 or older, you’re running unsupported, vulnerable software.

⚠️ If you’re running an outdated version of Synapse, you’re putting your organisation at risk.

🚨 Version 1.98.0 of Synapse (or older) exposes you to critical vulnerabilities, compliance failures and security risks.

🔐 Get up to date.

1 year ago 9 7 0 0
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Building a Safer Matrix Matrix, the open protocol for secure decentralised communications

The world needs secure comms as a bulwark against authoritarianism and oppression. Matrix seeks to meet that need, as a decentralised, encrypted protocol.

But Trust & Safety is difficult in a decentralised environment. How are we building a safer Matrix?

1 year ago 27 12 0 1
FOSDEM 2025 - The Road To Mainstream Matrix
FOSDEM 2025 - The Road To Mainstream Matrix Matthew's Main Track Talk in Janson at FOSDEM 2025: The Road To Mainstream Matrix.(This Week in) Matrix🐘 https://mastodon.matrix.org/@matrix🤝 https://www.l...

Missed FOSDEM, and you want to know how Matrix got where it is right now, where it succeeded, where it fell short, and what's remaining on the Road to Mainstream Matrix?

@arathorn.net has your back!

1 year ago 12 3 1 1