Hello all, I would like to help :)
Gitter - I agree with Rick, this could be a good open source option for chat/instant messaging. I'm happy to help in any way that I can to get this up-and-running for the group. IRC - I have had a negative experience with IRC, but specifically with the FreeNode network (https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/19/freenode_staff_resigns/). I would recommend leveraging Libera or Efnet networks. I may also have a VM that could be used to setup our own network - however, it is running OpenBSD, not a Linux distro 😉 I have had success with multiple clients, but do find the best are HexChat (Windows + Unix-like), XChat (Linux distros), or Nettalk (Windows). IRC is really ONLY good for text chat. NextCloud - In my experience it has been fantastic for document storage, collaboration, chat, project management, and video calls. I do recommend setting up a TURN server at the start (https://help.nextcloud.com/t/howto-setup-nextcloud-talk-with-turn-server/30794). Please let me know if I can help in any way. Jitsi - I think this group has a good handle on the pros/cons. Please let me know if I can help to leverage Jitsi. BigBlueButton - Fantastically underrated for video calls and chat. Can be setup on a private server, but it isn't necessary, the free platform supported by Greenlight works great! I highly recommend at least trying it out, and would be happy to setup a test run for the group if anyone is interested. BigBlueButton also has an interesting history in Canada 😉 (https://bigbluebutton.org/open-source-project/about/). I may have some special experience to bring (https://freebsdfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/ConferenceReports.pdf). Finally, I agree with what others have recommended: attempting an in-person meeting! I would love to get to know everyone in-person. Sincerely, Katie ________________________________ From: Rick Leir <[email protected]> Sent: 27 April 2022 13:04 To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [linux] open source chat Attention : courriel externe | external email Maybe you talked of this already: there is gitter.im which is an open source instant messaging and chat room for users of gitlab. I have not used it. As someone else said, chat and messaging are poor tools for annual meetings. We would do better to meet outdoors and take a chance with the weather. I have an umbrella but will probably not need to use it. Cheers -- Rick
