I mean, instead of running your own Matrix server?
Disadvantages include (this list is probably not exhaustive):
- Presence is disabled (as this uses a fair amount of resources)
- It has a tendency to be overloaded occasionally because so many people use it
- You have to play by their rules (not a problem for most users, but it bears mentioning)
You could also join other Matrix servers, especially ones that cater to a particular interest of yours.
If you go with self hosting, running a decent personal Matrix server that is capable of joining large rooms like Matrix HQ is likely going to cost you money and/or time.
Thanks! I’m fairly new to Matrix, so I don’t know what “presence” means. Do you mind explaining it?
Disabled presence can be an advantage to some privacy-conscious users, so a case for matrix.org can be made for them - especially if they don’t chat much anyway.
One advantage I found was the ability to run my own bridges, which allow you to connect Matrix to other services, like Signal, LinkedIn, or Telegram.
Is there a dependency on the instance, will it be blocked otherwise? I have activated the bridge to Telegram and Discord for my channels in the channel itself.
most bridges are appservices, which must be hardcoded in Synapse(/Dendrite/Conduit/…) config
Otherwise depend on what is called a “non-puppeting bridge”, self-hosted bot that reposts messages on behalf of itself. Problem is, reactions and other multi-agent interactions won’t be a subject for bridging. If you absolutely need those, you have to host a Matrix server (like optimized, but unstable, Conduit or the hungry Synapse) or partner up with another server owner to activate your appservice…
A lot. Of. Downtimes…
If you want to make a set of private rooms that you want to be available at all times, I certainly don’t recommend matrix.org.
Its really slow
