I am a Free Software user and enthusiast. I am not a software developer, but only an end-user and work as a teacher. When I talk about internet messaging, I talk solely under Software Freedom concepts. I use Telegram since 2014 (that was a long time enough) because the software runs on my computer is Free and I need Telegram for teaching about computing for Indonesian people. I do not want WhatsApp because it is proprietary software and teaching with it means teaching/causing people to use proprietary software too. Aside from Telegram, I also consider many other instant messaging choices and one of them is XMPP. This is just impressions of an end-user, not even a criticism, neither hatred at all. I myself use XMPP, like Jitsi Meet everyday, and Conversations Movim occassionally, but I cannot make it my main telecommunication. After using XMPP for years, here’s my explanation.
Definitions
In this article I will call several names:
Instant messaging: a name for all internet group chat facilities that work for users across web, desktop, and mobile. XMPP, Matrix, Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp are the examples.
XMPP: a name for all the protocol as well as the end-user applications of XMPP/Jabber. Conversations, Movim, Gajim are the examples.
Broken XMPP: a name for enhanced XMPP protocol and XMPP applications by proprietary software corporations like Facebook Messenger, Google Talk, WhatsApp, Apple (I forgot the name) which are all proprietary software and removed ability to federate outside. I don’t conside those XMPP, I consider them broken XMPP.
My explanation goes below:
Teaching with Free Software 