First, what is email ?
Email is a decentralized, free and open source communications platform that everyone uses even though it was invented a thousand years ago.
Why do we still use email when so many more secure, feature-rich platforms exist?
Because none of these platforms are decentralized and based on free and open source protocols and software. Email is the only platform that allows people to freely message each other regardless of who their email provider is (e.g. Gmail users can email Hotmail users). Slack and Teams and Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger and all the other proprietary platforms have lots of features, but they do not interoperate and they do not put control in the hands of people using the service.
So what is Matrix then?
Matrix is “an open network for secure, decentralized communication”, where people can communicate freely with one another even when they have accounts on independent servers. It is email for the 21st century.
But nobody has heard of Matrix and no one uses it.
The governments of England, Germany, and France, as well as many other large institutions and open source communities, would disagree.
How do I get an account?
When you want an email account, you choose an email provider and register for an account. Similarly, to get a Matrix address you choose a “homeserver” and register a new account. Many people get their first account on the flagship matrix.org server.
We operate a homeserver for the MUSES project that is open for public use, but with absolutely no guarantees of service availability or data access. We reserve the right to delete or suspend accounts without justification or warning.
