A brand new messaging app is coming to the Fediverse, and it's all thanks to the creator of Pixelfed.

A new messaging app is in development, and the project is described as “an open source WhatsApp for the Fediverse.”

  • Margot Robbie@lemm.ee
    10·
    1 year ago

    I’m excited for it. I’m hoping it becomes a federated, self-hostable Signal.

    It’s way easier to sell friends and family on yet another messager when you tell them “look, it comes with a twitter/facebook/instagram/reddit too!”

  • boatswain@infosec.pub
    5·
    1 year ago

    I’m much more excited about Veilid than another server-based thing, even if it’s federated servers. Fully peer-to-peer seems like the way to go for direct conversations.

    • Sean Tilley@lemmy.mlOPMEnglish
      3·
      1 year ago

      I’m pretty curious about Veilid, and eager to check it out. But, I believe that peer-to-peer and federated could theoretically complement each other very well, especially when it comes to building infrastructure for this big weird network we’re a part of.

      • boatswain@infosec.pub
        3·
        1 year ago

        For me, federated networks make a lot of sense when you want moderation and admins. Having a lot of little places with centralized control that can all talk to each other is much preferable to having 5 giant shitty walled gardens.

        If I’m going to talk to a friend or a small group of friends directly, then I don’t feel a need to have a centralized authority in the works, which is why I’d prefer peer-to-peer for that kind of communication.

        Those are just my preferences though; good luck with the project, and hack on!

    • ikidd@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      This. Maybe something that doesnt want my phone number or require me to sign on from a known device. That shit creeps me out, because I know none of it is necessary.

    • Sean Tilley@lemmy.mlOPMEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      I think it’s intended to be more like WhatsApp, in the sense that you use it for one-on-one chats or messaging small friend groups. I don’t think it’s a current goal to try to take on Matrix / Element.

  • maegul (he/they)@lemmy.mlEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Do we if it will have scope to do group chats at all or well?

    Seems to me that private group chats are significant piece missing from the fedi, especially as they seem to me to be a reasonable alternative platform structure compared to all the doom scrolling engagement stuff that the Fedi has so far more or less sought to simply clone.

    • Sean Tilley@lemmy.mlOPMEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      He’s working on multiple things at once. Where he finds the energy, I don’t know, but PubKit, Sup, and a few other things are all happening right now.

      This one article is part of a series where I’m hoping to put up one feature per day of what he’s been working on. Pixelfed is notoriously hard to cover, because the lead dev is so active.