Jabber/XMPP: How Do We Gain Traction?
A user discusses the frustrations of using Signal, citing missing features and bugs, while comparing it to the XMPP and Matrix messaging protocols. The author questions whether the app's popularity is driven by actual user experience or its reputation as a secure, open-source tool.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing tension between privacy-focused software design and the usability expectations of modern instant messaging users.
When I first installed Signal in the second half of 2023 to stay in touch with a few friends who had recently switched, it did not support message edits. This completely broke the way I used instant messengers. At that point, editing messages was a widely deployed feature across other instant messaging clients. Conversations had supported it since February 2016 1 and I had acquired a habit of typing a message, sending it, and only then reading it again and checking for typos. The lack of such an essential feature caused me to send incomprehensible messages, making the app almost unusable for me. Signal forced me to adapt and change my habits.
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