[Proposal] Matrix chat room (Web 3.0 way of communication)

HOPR DAO v0.3
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Greetings HOPRaptors :raised_hand:

How about if we will buidl an app over Discord alternative: Matrix

Matrix vs Discord:
Many projects are not only heavily reliant on Discord but completely reliant on it. If Discord suffers any significant outages or any number of other problems, their projects will likely suffer extreme problems.

Discord is a closed-source, walled garden chat program (they do not allow for alternative clients). It also suffers from downtime which can impact our ability to communicate: https://twitter.com/outagediscord + https://discordstatus.com/. Discord can also, at any time, choose to suspend or ban users or the entire Discord server. They can also choose to impose significant charges for usage, forced advertising as well as whatever they want to. They can also at any time choose to impose restrictions on various bots that we use. Although these things are somewhat unlikely, it is important for decentralization to be planned for as much as possible.

Discord also does not have decentralized options for server ownership, meaning whoever created the server has unique rights (change of ownership is possible, but only to an individual account). Discord not allow to transfer server ownership of the server to the community (DAO of new web gonna need it). Some users may not want to use Discord at all due to privacy or other concerns.

Many services, like AWS and Google Cloud have experienced downtime in recent months (Spotify, Discord, and others are coming back online after a brief Google Cloud outage - The Verge + https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/22/22849780/amazon-aws-is-down-outage-slack-imgur-hulu-asana-epic)

Matrix (https://matrix.org/) is an open source, decentralized, secure communication protocol. It has many different clients available for various operating systems.

Since Matrix is open source platform it could be easy to integrate HOPR layer.

More information - https://matrix.org/docs/guides/introduction

Metadata privacy:

Matrix provides state-of-the-art end-to-end-encryption via the Olm and Megolm cryptographic ratchets. This ensures that only the intended recipients can ever decrypt your messages, while warning if any unexpected devices are added to the conversation.
But what’s about metadata privacy? Hopr could be a great solution here!

Summary:

By building additional layer of metadata privacy using HOPR protocol - we will have stable, decentralized and fully secured way of communication for WEB 3.0.

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do you mean need an authorization plugin for matrix based on hopr? this is a cool idea, in fact, though it is not very clear whether this is technically possible

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All network activity Matrix initiates to connect to servers will be using Hopr protocol.
We simply can modify open-source client and make a new version aKa Hopr-Matrix.

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Sounds logical) good proposal, I support it

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Generally very interesting proposal. One needs to distinguish between (1) a Matrix client (e.g. Element) and (2) a Matrix server. HOPR could be used for both, achieve different privacy goals.

For (1) HOPR would shield metadata from the Matrix server provider. This could be interesting if a public server is used. Nevertheless, the server provider will know that the user talked over the server, but will be missing IP information for additional tracking.

For (2) HOPR would shield metadata from other Matrix server runners. One server provider could use metadata to build a usage model of another server.

I suppose the most interesting bit is in (1). It would not really need a separate Matrix client, but something like proposed in HOPR network's SOCKS5 client or [DAO proposal] Fund/initiate the development of a metadata privacy conserving HOPR desktop client (mobile APP to follow later)

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Great idea to aid the move away from centralisation

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Well said, thanks for your input!

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Hello, mate, I agree with you, but I think the specific implementation may be very long time. First of all, I suggest opening Discord first, because it has a large user base. By holding various activities, users can quickly enter the community. If you go directly to the communication tools of WEB 3.0, it may be more difficult to attract users. Secondly, as the activity of the community on discord increases, you can start to build communication for WEB 3.0.

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Thanks for the suggestion! Remember, if you’re finished and would like to make this an official proposal, please edit the title to include “[Proposal]”. It will then be flagged for moderation.

More information on the validity guidelines and submission process can be found here:

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My proposal is not valid? @thewanderingeditor

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I like your proposal, I would like to know why it is not part of the valid Proposals leader-board?

I think, we could make a sort of proxy that connect to any client/server implementation and forward the messages through the HOPR network.
It could be a separate software instead of modifying Dendrite/Synapse + a matrix front such as Element. Otherwise, there would be too many implementations of Matrix to modify.

In essence, this idea is connected to the project of making a general-purpose VPN. It is a broader concept that can be applied not just to Matrix, but to any other form of communication.

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There was a moderation error. It’s now been added to the list. Apologies to @Lastfor for the small delay in making this proposal visible, and thanks for flagging so promptly

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Very interesting idea, but I think it should be considered a little later. As you imagine, potential users will be attracted? This is a very hard and long work. But having such a platform is very convenient, because if something really happens with discord, people will have an analogue.

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I don’t know if it will be useful in the future or not? but good idea