Why's a Matrix?
Here's a link to the Anticow Homeserver!
---> Anticow Homeserver <---
Can I make an account on anticow.nz?
First of all, I'm flattered <3
Secondly, I'm very new to this. If I know you on Second Life then we're most likely cool and it'll be awesome to have you on board!
Throw me a message there and I'll help you set up an account. Registrations are only via invitation
What's a Matrix?
You know how with email, you can have a yahoo account and still be able to email people who use hotmail?
Matrix is that, but in the form of instant messages. You can sign up with a homeserver and join group chats, get into voice calls, send memes, all that good stuff.
This is what it looks like. I'm using a light-themed nheko client
There's still a lot of differences between Matrix and something like Discord. The big one is that it's not a centralised service. My own Matrix server isn't something abstract that can be spun up with a click of a button, It's running off a cute little Intel NUC that's sitting in my closet. Everything is running off that. Images and text are hosted on it. That's a lot of responsibility!
Why's a Matrix?
Same reason as many others. Discord is getting weird :/
There's plenty of alternatives out there but they all run the risk of changing how they treat the user for the worst. The risk of that is greatly reduced if you're part of a community that have a Matrix homeserver or if you make your own. You wouldn't treat yourself badly, right?
Also this makes for a fun hobby. I have a Jellyfin server so why not try to set up a homeserver?