Moonbeam.town Wiki

Matrix is, at its core, a protocol for maintaining synchronous JSON databases across multiple servers. The practical upshot of this is that, combined with the right client software, it is possible to use this protocol for single- and multi-user chats. Matrix, along with XMPP, is one of the “big two” open-source federated chat back-ends. While both are open-source and secure, Matrix has significant corporate and (French) government backing, meaning the client software is much more robust than anything available for XMPP.

While XMPP does have its place, and is less resource-intensive than Matrix, the latter is more polished, user-friendly, and consistent. Matrix also has a few useful features that XMPP lacks, such as reliable multi-user chat encryption. Matrix can also be bridged to other chat services, including XMPP, should the need arise. For these reasons, I've opted to use Matrix as Moonbeam.town's primary chat service.

You can:

• Start one-on-one encrypted conversations with other users
• Start or join one of our server's chat rooms
• Upload pictures or other media
• Voice or video call other users or chat rooms
• Message users and join chat rooms on other Matrix servers around the net

Moonbeam.town's matrix server can be accessed in one of three ways: via your web browser, via the desktop client, or via a mobile client. All are called Element and all are generally equal in features.

Moonbeam.town offers the “Element” web interface for Matrix, which can be accessed from your control panel.

1. Click on the “El” button on your control panel, or navigate to https://matrix.moonbeam.town
2. You'll see the “Welcome to Element” page. From here, click “Sign In”.
3. The next screen will have a button that says “Sign in with single sign-on”. Click it.
4. You'll be brought to an unadorned page that says “The application at https://matrix.moonbeam.town is requesting full access to your moonbeam.town Matrix account.” There should also be a link that says “I trust this address,” which you should click.
5. That's it! You'll then be brought to Element's web interface for Moonbeam.town's Matrix server.

Note that if you are accessing this on a mobile device, you will probably need to be in landscape mode for it to work properly – the Element web interface is fairly wide. For this reason the mobile client is recommended for mobile use – see below.

1. Download and install the “Element” app from F-Droid (here) or Google Play.
2. Open the client. You will be presented with a welcome splash screen.
3. Click “Get started”
4. You will be brought to a page that says “Select a server.” Click “Sign in with Matrix ID”, at the bottom of the page.
5. Enter your Matrix ID and password.
   1. Your Matrix ID is @username:moonbeam.town, where “username” is the ID you use to log into Moonbeam.town
   2. Your password is the same password you use to log into Moonbeam.town.
6. Click “Sign in.”
7. From here, you will be brought to the Direct Messages page, where you may message other users directly. Matrix doesn't have a contact list, per se – your “contacts” are the users you have an active Direct Messages conversation with. You can start a new conversation by clicking the round green button with the chat bubble and a plus sign at the bottom right corner of the screen, then entering the desired user's Matrix ID (e.g. @wraidd:moonbeam.town).
8. If you wish to join or create a multi-user chat, switch to the “Rooms” screen by touching the # at the bottom of the Direct Messages screen. You then click the round green button with the “#+” at the bottom right corner of the screen to be brought to the public room list. You may also join a public chat directly by entering the room ID in the search box at the top of the page (e.g. #commons:moonbeam.town).

1. Download Element from https://element.io/, install, and run.
2. Welcome to Element! Click “Sign In”
3. Your “Homeserver” will be set to matrix.org. Press “Edit” to change it.
4. Click on the text “Other homeserver” and input moonbeam.town, then press “Continue”
5. Sign in with “Username”, and input your Username and Password as described under “Android client”

Matrix, as previously said, is a multimedia chat service similar to Discord or Slack. It supports text, voice, and video chats and multi-user chat rooms. It's fully federated with the rest of the Matrix network, so if you have friends on other servers, you can use your Matrix ID to talk to them.

When you log in, you should automatically be added to the Announcements (#announce:moonbeam.town) and Town Commons (#commons:moonbeam.town) chat rooms; if you're not, the first thing you should do is join them. You can introduce yourself in the Commons, or browse the room directory and join rooms that look like they might suit your interests. If no such rooms exist, go ahead and make one! It's your space, after all.

Element stores your encryption keys in your browser/app cache. Once you log out of the service, those keys are erased and so is your access to your chat history. If you value this history, make sure you back up your encryption keys before you log off. This can be done from the “Security and Privacy” settings page, and Matrix will also prompt you to do so repeatedly before it lets you log out.

Some users report that the mobile clients sometimes don't notify when new chats are received. I haven't experienced this myself, but as far as I know this is being worked on.

Matrix is resource-intensive. Please don't join channels on other servers if those channels have more than a few hundred users.

These are the channels you can freely join:

• Animal Park (#pets:moonbeam.town): For pictures of pets and other cute animals
• Arcade Dungeon (#gaming:moonbeam.town): Talk about gaming, be it tabletop or video
• Battlestar Wars Trek 5 (#sf:moonbeam.town): Discussions about Star Trek, Star Wars, and other SF media
• Brujeria con Chuleria (#brujeria:moonbeam.town): Magic, witchcraft, and the occult
• Food for the Mood (#galley:moonbeam.town): Food pictures and recipes
• Moonbeam Hallows (#hallows:moonbeam.town): Discussions of religion and spirituality
• The Red Zone (#redzone:moonbeam.town): Leftist/communist education and discussion
• Yo Bish, it's Jyotish (#jyotish:moonbeam.town): Talk about astrology, primarily Vedic and sidereal

The following channels are invite-only. Send a message to @wraidd:moonbeam.town to be added.

• Baby Station!: For sharing baby pictures and talking about raising children
• Pickle Peach Lounge: Share your naughty selfies! Anything (legal) goes as long as it's of you
• Psychonautics: Discussion about psychedelic drugs