Launch a chat space for Composr CMS?

Should I create a chat space for Composr CMS? Which platform?

Hello,

I've been thinking about whether I should open a chat space on another community for Composr CMS. I'm making an unofficial poll for you to tell me what you'd prefer (the votes are not weighted).

Here's why I've been thinking about opening a chat space:

• The chat space would utilise an app. This means that Composr users can chat with each other (and with me) in a quick way.
• It's quicker than forums because you can get pinged/notified when someone mentions you.
• Chat rooms are more interactive. It might bring a little more exposure to Composr and create a slightly greater sense of community.

However, here are the cons:

• This might tempt people to use the chat app and never use the website.
• A chat room is less ideal for archives (referring back to past conversations, e.g., to look up what someone else did for a specific topic).
• It's another thing for the staff to maintain (but I wouldn't be bringing this up if I didn't think I could do it).
• I'm not sure if I can bridge composr.app accounts with the chat platform so you can get rewards for activity in the chat room (e.g., points/achievements).
  • It might be possible. E.g., In the past, I hosted a Discord server where members had a linked account on a Composr v10 site. And a Discord bot managed the bridge.

Should I create a chat space, I will still continue to post material on composr.app as I've been doing.

---

Now, let's discuss a chat platform. The one that I'm drawn to is Matrix. It fits the vision of Composr because Matrix is decentralised. I would create a "homeserver" specific for Composr CMS use. And this would reside on my server. Then, you have choices as to which Matrix chat client (app) you want to use to connect to it (e.g., Element). Additionally, people can create different spaces on it. So if you want to go beyond Composr CMS discussions, you could. All of the data would reside on my server. Therefore, for those concerned about privacy, you can be assured that big tech doesn't have access to any of that data.

If you want to go with something more familiar (and potentially more mature/stable), then we can go with Slack or Discord. They are more familiar for most people to use. However, both are proprietary. The data is owned by the companies. You can't view the source code. And you are completely subject to their rules. Slack has some limitations in the free version. However, it has a more general/business focus better fit for the Composr community. Discord is primarily used for gaming. However, we can do more with it without paying money than Slack.

Honestly, I don't know of any other good platform. But feel free to comment if you recommend something else.

Doesn't V11 have a built-in chat function like previous versions?

The only reason I can think of that would make a chat feature worthwhile is if someone is needing real-time help to solve an issue. Other than that, I have no use for it currently. Maybe if ever I move to V11 I might make use of it.

I have to agree with the first two cons you listed.

I set up recently the chat feature on my V10 site for a developer and his team for their use, and as a test bed for maybe making it forum-wide. I'm hesitant with having a chat feature for all my members as they may start using it instead of creating the topics/posts that others can benefit from the shared knowledge.

Yes, v11 still has the chat feature that v10 does. However, like the v10 chat, it is very minimal in functionality. It doesn't do what most modern chat applications can do (e.g., notifications, attachments, reactions, replying to a specific message, ability to use it through a native app, etc).