> Matrix is the foundation to build a self-hosted Slack-like platform (public/private rooms, audio and video support, threads, e2e encryption, etc)

Yes. And since that’s more than most Matrix users use Matrix for - it’s a design cost brought on to every single user to accommodate the needs of the 0.1%.

The complexity and cost of running a Matrix home-server instance is ridiculous. Should you ever need to do admin work - you’ll be forced to curl your own server using bespoke APIs (or use Claude to do it for you) - because element never thought an admin portal was important to include in a globally federated com-product which just keeps accumulating more and more data.

I use Matrix myself - because what else is there - but let’s be honest about what this thing is.

It’s a giant, over-engineered, under-implemented promise - which fails to deliver the second you push it past the IRC stage.

Btw - I’ve run IRC servers for 20+ years with less total lifetime maintenance than a Matrix home-server has in a single year. Just so many things breaking.