What's left. Wire (trash), Signal (trash).... Y

What's left. Wire (trash), Signal (trash)....

You be the judge...
All of this leaves me in a position where I can’t yet fully endorse any of these instant messaging systems. All three are exceptional in their own right, but each has at least one problem that gives me pause.

As for right now? I’m using Wire. And I’m quite happy with it, though I am eagerly awaiting the availability of source code for the server. And should that source code not actually be released publicly, I will be quickly looking to move away from Wire to another service.

I would consider Signal, but it is in reality impossible for me to use it (at least without resorting to multiple hacks on their systems and using their software in ways they clearly don’t want me to). If Signal becomes available for secure platforms and becomes un-tied from cell phones, I would quickly take another look. It is, other than those issues, an interesting and excellent-looking system.

And Matrix is, likewise, excellent. I’ll be keeping an eye on it and trying it out from time to time while they continue to refine and enhance their system.

The reality is that all three of these systems are significantly better options than those currently offered from the likes of Google, Apple and Microsoft. All of them will make your data more private. They may not be perfect, but they’re better.

So, for now Wire is the instant messenger for me. But the entire instant messaging landscape is in a wild and crazy flux right now—so this is something to keep close tabs on over the coming months.