Why use Matrix instead of Telegram/Discord/etc.

The main benefits of using Matrix over Telegram/Discord/etc. are:

• You can self-host your own matrix server, having direct control over it.
• You don't need to provide an email/phone number to make an account.

FvA still provides spaces on Telegram/Discord/etc. for increasing the online reach of our signal boosts. The Matrix server is probably most useful for having online chats that require more privacy. Or for experimenting with switching away from corporate chat tools.

How do I get an account?

Contact us to make an account. Please provide us with your desired username in the email.

How do I make an account?

The server is closed to registrations. It is invite only & accounts must be created manually. The server has federation turned off so as to avoid any leaking of metadata while we are still testing. The synapse instance uses this config which can be read by anyone to help us improve our security & privacy settings.

After you contacted us for an account, we will provide you with a username and a one time login password.

1. Download Element as your client. You can download it to your desktop, mobile or use it in the browser if you want. Our experience is that when people don't download and install the app on their phone or desktop, they mostly forget about it.
2. Open the app
3. When logging in, choose matrix.fva.wtf as their custom homeserver.


1. And choose the "Log in with FvA leden / members" button.


1. Put in your username and your received password


First steps for new users

• required: setup backup keys in all settings > security & privacy > secure backup
• if you do not do this, you can lose your chat archive when you log out!
• optional: set an avatar in all settings > general
• optional: enable threads/search in all settings > labs
• optional: turn off "scalar.vector.im" in all settings > general > manage integrations

Find Spaces and the chat Rooms

1. Spaces: Spaces are groups of chat Rooms. On time of writing we have 2 Spaces Digital-comrades and the FvA network space. If you join one of these spaces you automatically see all Rooms associated with that space. This is easier then just joining separate Rooms.

1. Rooms: Rooms are just individual chats. To view an overview of all chat rooms click the compass icon button next to the search field in the left corner.

How do I create a space?

Spaces are groups of chat rooms. They can be private or public. See this guide for help on how to create spaces. Private spaces are handy if you want to have chat rooms which are invite-only but then easily manageable by the collective. You should invite other collective members to the space and not just the individual rooms. It is also useful to remember to make all collective members admin so that this work can be shared.

Which Matrix app should I use?

Element is the simplest to install and use. We recommend it. You can install it on your phone or laptop. It supports all major platforms.

Can I use Tor to access?

They're still working on it but there are work-arounds if you have time and don't mind diving into some technical details.

Can I do video/voice calls?

Yes, you have two options:

• For groups of more than 2 people, Jitsi is integrated into the room for audio/video calls. Just click the audio/video call button on the top right of your screen. We use jitsi.riot.im by default. A room is created which is public but has a "hard to find" URL. You can turn on private room settings in the Jitsi UI.

• For one-to-one chats, a dedicated audio/video server is used (hosted by another friendly hosting collective). This supports encrypted audio/video calls and we've seen good performance. You simply use the audio/video call button on the top right of the screen also.

Can I send DMs across the bridges?

If you do not have a personal Telegram/Signal account, then you cannot directly message users on those platforms with your Matrix account.

If you do have a personal Telegram/Signal account