Matrix is a protocol, Element is a Slack-like app on Matrix.
It sounds like you have issues with Element as a replacement for Signal, which I totally get, but I think it's worth distinguishing Element from Matrix.
Element being the only full-featured Matrix app hopefully won't always be the case and it's Matrix's express goal to change that. Element is a single reference implementation -- if it's successful it could spawn many others supporting different UIs and use-cases, which we're already seeing with Fluffychat sporting a Signal-like chat interface.
I'm pushing my family and friends to use Matrix because that's the direction I want the world to go (open protocol with many different clients and servers communicating), not because we're already there today.
I should have been clear about that. Yes, I am aware that Matrix and Vector>Riot>Element are different.
In fact Matrix as a protocol even less of a Signal replacement. People get perturbed by tiny amount of sign up friction and imagine self hosting. But then if you assume, and that's what I did assume, that for the sake of considering Matrix/Element as a replacement of Signal we stick to matrix.org server. That essentially makes Matrix as Signal replacement.
Also, when people usually talk about Matrix being adopted by masses they are talking about Matrix on matrix.org (or that's my understanding which may be incorrect as well).
> Also, when people usually talk about Matrix being adopted by masses they are talking about Matrix on matrix.org (or that's my understanding which may be incorrect as well).
No idea how you got that understanding. With respect to adoption the server does not matter at all (though many consider it advantageous if it is not matrix.org)
It sounds like you have issues with Element as a replacement for Signal, which I totally get, but I think it's worth distinguishing Element from Matrix.
Element being the only full-featured Matrix app hopefully won't always be the case and it's Matrix's express goal to change that. Element is a single reference implementation -- if it's successful it could spawn many others supporting different UIs and use-cases, which we're already seeing with Fluffychat sporting a Signal-like chat interface.
I'm pushing my family and friends to use Matrix because that's the direction I want the world to go (open protocol with many different clients and servers communicating), not because we're already there today.