XMPP Service Operators - 2021-07-04

blabber.im is now officially offline

RIP

Wow... That was quick

https://xmpp.loranger.xyz/upload/pWE7AAgnxLNDO8Ez/LfF1vBJzSE-YIcOIJ5Wb9A.png

Arguably better than how Google did it, leave an unmaintained pile of poorly running servers running for years

Apparently it still connects

Not for me

But the Website is online again ✏

> moparisthebest wrote: > Arguably better than how Google did it, leave an unmaintained pile of poorly running servers running for years ?

Ellenor Malik: google talk

4223 (private): ye

Ellenor Malik: I'm convinced 100% of people who say "I've used XMPP, it's terrible" only tried pidgin connected to Google which had no XMPP features after about 2004 or so, it was indeed terrible

> moparisthebest wrote: > Ellenor Malik: I'm convinced 100% of people who say "I've used XMPP, it's terrible" only tried pidgin connected to Google which had no XMPP features after about 2004 or so, it was indeed terrible hmmm maybe

moparisthebest: should make a point of getting every XMPP operator / user who tries to appeal to familiarity by saying "if you've ever used Google Talk, you've already experienced XMPP"... to stop doing that.

Ew who's doing that? Are they also recommending pidgin?

moparisthebest: example at https://jmp.chat/faq/#jabber_client > Jabber is long-standing, widely-used, and privacy-focused. If you have ever used Google Chat, HipChat, the pre-2016 Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Kik, Movim, Android Push Notifications, or a private company chat server, then you have used XMPP.

Extra demerits for using "privacy-focused" in the same breath as "Google" and "Facebook"....

Jabber is long-standing and widely used. Not privacy-focussed by itself

rozzin: oh, is that hosted somewhere?

What is the reason that blabber.im got offline?

BaBa: something about a corrupted DB and lack of will/resources to continue, iirc

Licaon_Kter: oohh. All right

is the app still using it as default server?

I think the app has been updated already

latest app update removed it

so which is the default now?

I don't think it has one

> Licaon_Kter wrote: > BaBa: something about a corrupted DB and lack of will/resources to continue, iirc shame they didn't put out a casting call for manpower?

to what gain? were people donating? was the app paid? running a service for free takes a toll on ya

They were receiving plenty of donations, and they had multiple offers of support from other admins (e.g. to take all the users and run the XMPP service for them).

I don't know what the reasoning was behind the decision to not accept those offers. However I really encourage any admin of a public server to be prepared for the day you no longer want to continue. Have a plan, and please let it include notifying your users and giving them their data.

yes.

the whole pix-art/blabber project seems to be run very unprofessionally

maybe, yeah.

xorman: No one knows the reason but having used it, it was quite professionally configured and pointing finger is the world's easiest job....

xorman: I would not group them like that Kriztan did not close development of the app.

well shutting it down the way they did does not seem professional

it's not.

but that's on dominion

not on kriztan

I always like to assume good faith. It is possible for example that there was some legal or other situation that can't be readily disclosed. It would explain many of the choices. But... speculation is pointless :)

I've also seen some messy commits

What's done is done, and I think we just need to learn from it and move on

For example, services with more stable entities behind them. Something like what Libera.chat are doing for their new network. That kind of structure will outlast any single individual. Unfortunately it's a lot of work to organize and do it well.

ye

agree