Matrix also has a completely different featureset to XMPP or IRC: E2EE by default; conversation history as a first class citizen; HTTPS+JSON APIs by default; E2EE Group VoIP (almost) integrated; etc.
> Software developers earn way more than most public sector workers - is this justifiable?
This feels like a false dichotomy. The implication is that public sector software developers are paid less than average private sector software developers. This may well be the case in some places - but the answer there is SURELY to pay public sector software developers the average going rate, rather than conclude that funding private sector FOSS maintenance is not justifiable(!)
Because empirically Matrix is what governments appear to be using - e.g. https://tchap.beta.gouv.fr/ for France; https://messenger.bwi.de/bundesmessenger for Germany; Delta for Ukraine; equivalent for UK & US, etc.
Matrix also has a completely different featureset to XMPP or IRC: E2EE by default; conversation history as a first class citizen; HTTPS+JSON APIs by default; E2EE Group VoIP (almost) integrated; etc.
> Software developers earn way more than most public sector workers - is this justifiable?
This feels like a false dichotomy. The implication is that public sector software developers are paid less than average private sector software developers. This may well be the case in some places - but the answer there is SURELY to pay public sector software developers the average going rate, rather than conclude that funding private sector FOSS maintenance is not justifiable(!)