The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source

Gitter’s big adventure (Interview)

Sep 30, 2020
Guest
Sid Sijbrandij
Guest
Matthew Hodgson
Matthew Hodgson, technical co-founder of Matrix, and Sid Sijbrandij, CEO of GitLab, explore the exciting acquisition of Gitter by GitLab and its subsequent integration into the Matrix ecosystem. They discuss the strategic implications and challenges of merging open-source values with enhanced functionality. The duo also dives into fragmented developer communication, highlighting Gitter's role in bridging conversations across various platforms, and the importance of improving user experience in decentralized communication. This union promises a stronger collaborative future for open-source communities!
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INSIGHT

Chat Client Diversity

  • Chat clients are diverse, with varying UX/UI and integrations, making a "one-size-fits-all" solution difficult.
  • Matrix aims to bridge these diverse chat communities, enabling interoperability between platforms like Slack, Gitter, IRC, and Matrix itself.
ANECDOTE

Early Gitter Bridge Challenges

  • Matrix's initial Gitter bridge was a basic "bot-based" system, relaying messages but lacking proper user profiles.
  • This led to issues with anti-spam measures and required frequent intervention from Eric, Gitter's maintainer.
ADVICE

Bridging Blueprint

  • Observe Matrix's Gitter integration as a model for bridging existing chat platforms.
  • This blueprint will demonstrate successful bridging techniques, including addressing history import challenges.
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