I've been trying to use Matrix to replace sites like Discord or Slack. But it seems that if a user creates an invitation-only room in a server, then invited users who are registered on other servers get errors when trying to join. Not very useful error messages either: "Failed to join room". (In my case, I tried creating accounts and rooms at nitro.chat and then at converser.eu, but friends registered at matrix.org don't manage to join).
Quite a let-down. Anyone who's facing the same problem and has maybe managed to solve it?
However, this does not necessarily mean federation is off the table, possible avenues are:
Implement our own federation protocol
Implement a promising up and coming federation protocol, polyproto
Implement the Matrix protocol (unlikely, obtuse and unstable)
Implement the XMPP protocol (battle-tested and stable)
Yes, I read the whole thing, thanks. However it's listed right next to several other (basically every) option and if it's not even on their roadmap, it's guaranteed not to happen for many years, if ever.
I mean there are dozens of sites like this. I can host my own media on my server and share it with a link. Except the "extra steps" you're referring to are all done automatically on the backend (the submitter just clicks "upload" and selects the file and the recipients just click the play button) and the "extra steps" required here and manual and annoying. In the case of Discord or similar.
The site isn't hosting the file. Sure you can host your own FTP etc. But there is a lot of security risks and vulnerabilities that arise because of that. You can even host your own Magic wormhole. It's under MIT license. Just have to open the ports Etc. It should however theoretically have a lot less attack surface than HTTP FTP and similar protocols. Nothing is invulnerable of course.
In addition, we store your encrypted files on our servers for 24 hours so the share link will keep working for your recipient even after you close the Wormhole site.
Not that it matters, because none of that is the problem. Hosting my own media on my own server is much more convenient than p2p transfers and equally secure. The problem is the "extra steps" require to transfer files this way.