💾 Archived View for wilw.capsule.town › log › 2021-12-15-element-one.gmi captured on 2023-09-08 at 15:57:42. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
⬅️ Previous capture (2023-04-19)
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For as long as I've been using Matrix [1] I've hosted my own homeserver on my own VPS and at my own domain.
I previously wrote about [2] how I self-host my homeserver with the help of the Synapse project [3]. Although this set-up is quite straight forward, it's an extra system to maintain with all of the associated overheads.
One of the reasons I don't host my own mail server is that I fear missed messages and silent bounces. I trust dedicated mail providers (particularly Fastmail [4]) more than myself in providing a robust enough service to ensure things get through. Equally, if I am telling other people my Matrix handle, then I want to make sure that messages they send (and those that I send) actually get delivered without any problems.
The Matrix project, and Element [5] too, are moving at such a pace that my own setup quickly feels old-fashioned. They also introduce new features for which I would need to take time learning about and setting-up in a robust way.
So, last week, I made the decision to move my primary Matrix identity over to the Element One [6] service. I pay $5 a month for their basic plan.
Moving was relatively simple. I just created a new account on the Element One website and, once in, I re-joined the rooms I had previously been in on my old server. I also logged-into my new account on the Element One homeserver in my Element apps.
I then messaged those people that I talk to frequently to let them know my new username. Unlike Mastodon, there is no way to seamlessly transfer and redirect conversations between homeservers, so this was a bit of a manual job (though not too time-consuming).
I am keeping my old homeserver up for a few weeks in case any new messages come through, but will eventually archive the messages and shut this down.
I'm really enjoying the fact that I don't need to worry about the ongoing maintenance of my personal homeserver, and the knowledge that I can trust Element in that they know what they're doing.
The bridges that come with Element One - for Telegram, Whatsapp, and Signal - are fantastic. They work seamlessly; I get read receipts, can reply to messages, and see when people are typing. Contact profile information (such as avatar images) get pulled through too with no problems.
This means I can chat to people and groups on Matrix, Telegram, and Whatsapp all from one place, which is super convenient! Sure - the chats are no longer end-to-end encrypted (yet), but I rarely use secure chats on Telegram anyway and Whatsapp's claims have always been spurious.
On the flip-side, Element One restricts you to their own domain name for their homeserver. As such, my new handle is `@wilw:one.ems.host`, and I've lost the "vanity" associated with using my own domain. This also means that I need to go through the migration process again if I ever move away from Element.
EMS (Element Matrix Services) [7] does offer the ability to bring your own domain, but this service is aimed more at groups or businesses, since the smallest plan comes with a minimum of 5 users at $3 each. For now, this is overkill for just me.
This is the only down-side I notice at the moment, and it isn't a big killer for me since most of my activity is room-based anyway.
In general, I'm glad to have made the move. Things work smoothly, I get to use modern Matrix features, and I trust the robustness and security of the professionally-hosted platform.
I'm not emotionally tied to Element One, and am always interested to hear about other Matrix homeservers and communities that may be more of a fit for me. However, for now, it's a great alternative to self-hosting.