JHSheridan

I found Matrix and Riot a while back while I was searching for an encrypted, open-source alternative to Rocket Chat for my team.

While there are still some things that need improving, they're mostly just rough edges. All of my coworkers are at least semi-technical, so that makes things a little easier for us. At times, the key verification can be frustrating, but I think this is just a hard problem to solve in general.

As I began to use Matrix more, I realized that there's potential for Matrix to be much, much more than just a Slack/Mattermost/Rocket Chat killer. I could see this replacing texting, what's app, group chat for business and outside of work. I haven't tested much of the video chat or phone calling features, but if support for those become robust, I could see Matrix replacing almost every form of communication I currently have. That would be really excellent considering most of the communication channels I currently use are controlled by corporations I don't like and don't trust.

Following that line of thought, your Matrix address could become a universal point of contact. A Matrix address seems so much simpler than a phone number, and you don't have to worry about the fact that you may not be able to transfer numbers between carriers or something like that.

I have so much hope for this project. We need an open-source, encrypted, decentralized communications standard. This is the best and broadest attempt I've seen at this so far.

Do you have more info or a link on the Manuel Valls quote? I'm trying to find more context online, but having trouble.

> Students are now asked to give up their present for a chance at a good future.

So... an investment?

Wow... I just spent an hour reading and rereading that small bit of text you linked to. I was never even aware of such a thing.

What a powerful idea. Thanks for pointing out the possible connection here.

Just like a little regulation and oversight stopped the housing bubble, tech bubble, etc.

I'm not saying this is comparable directly to those situations, but we shouldn't forget that regulated markets have crooks and cheats too.

I'm definitely going to be testing this on my own server. I've been looking forward to this since it was annouced.

One bit of constructive critism: You got to lose the Mailpile font (which looks like some bastarization of Museo). I know it's part of your branding, but it has no place in the UI. Not only is it much less readable than almost any simpler sans-serif, but the huge x-width makes the text take up so much more space than it needs. Your backup Helvetica Neue with the weight toned down to 400/500 is a huge improvement alone.

Keep up the good work! This is a true service to society.

You're right. Insolvency is a more accurate term to use in this case.

> How does a government funded org ever face bankruptcy

When there is no money to pay its debt. Simple as that.

Whether or not private companies can provide better health care than public institutions is an entirely different argument, and was not one I was trying to make.

Bankruptcy has nothing to do with whether an organization is for-profit or not. It has to do with whether it can pay its debts or not.

Trying to figure out how to pay for things you can't afford isn't nonsense. Believing government institutions are exempt from debt is.

No matter how valuable a service is, someone must pay for it. Saving lives is a wonderful thing, but doctors still want to be paid.

I disagree. Facing bankruptcy is facing bankruptcy. Politicians can make it sound as complicated as they like, but at the end of the day, if you owe a man $20, you're going to have to pay him. It doesn't really matter who is at fault.

I don't know enough about the NHS to say with any certainty, but I imagine the way the hospitals stay open and patients get their drugs is by the NHS going into more debt (please correct me if I'm wrong).

There's a difference between impending doom not existing and kicking the can down the road. Ultimately, the taxpayers will end up paying the debt. The question is when.

> Meanwhile, very, very large government programs like the NHS do well and provide healthcare to millions in an affordable way with great outcomes.

Isn't NHS facing bankruptcy?

Exactly. I understand there's a difference, I just thought the way I was using it was completely obvious.

Do I need to explain how a publicly traded company is still private, or are you just being purposely obtuse?

Ever heard of Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, etc.? Google just does it better than anyone else at the moment.

Now I'm not saying Google doesn't have a de facto monopoly, but I'm wary of anyone who says a private company should be forced to split. Should they be punished for being the most popular?