Chat alternative setup

[yarikoptic]

Crowdcast (#2) had a chat which is a requirement but with cons. Jitsi (if to go with it as the video conference and casting) also has a chat, but it is IMHO also too simplistic and not persistent (unless keeping channel open). I think we better integrate with some other chat which then could be used not only for video chat or casting sessions, but throughout the entire platform. Somewhat akin to disqus which could provide commenting for each web page on the website. Then we could have consistent with desired features (archival, persistency, @references, permalinks) for any element in the platform and/or full sub hierarchy (eg see chats going on across all posters in a section).

• mattermost?
  • could be integrated: https://docs.mattermost.com/integrations/embedding.html .
  • there is jitsi plugin for mattermost now: https://mattermost.com/blog/mattermost-and-jitsi/
  • @r03ert0 pointed to https://github.com/42wim/matterbridge which might be handy
• https://rocket.chat/ !!! - mini-conf already integrates it ! (although it seems to fail to load for me on their demo website). no groupping of chat rooms yet but otherwise looks very fitting
• some other (more light weight) solution?

[yarikoptic]

Some notes on what I have posted to slack, instead of here. Relates also to Q&A (#11) and polls (#5):

Re chat: totally agree with Katja. I have looked through all those demos/platforms, sparkle included, and saw that neither of them has a good chat 😕 , they all suck one way or another. Indeed just integrating with a proper (and ideally open platform) chat (e.g. mattermost) could be the way for persistent and omnipresent (before/beyond ohbm meeting) solution. BUT I insofar I did not find an easy way to integrate chat with some support at least for Q&A (ideally also for polls) which would have been the ultimate ideal. Soichi is researching/trying Discord (https://discord.com), which is a chat + video casting used largely by gamers. They cast their games etc (to many thousands), it is largely a chat BUT with video chat/casting integration and gzillion of plugins, e.g. for Q&A etc. Unfortunately AFAIK discord itself isn't open source but it does has extensive API and as I have mentioned extensions/ways to integrate/customize/extend. Not yet sure about it but just wanted to mention it.

FWIW: hierarchical organization of channels in mattermost is not yet available but highly requested feature (so I expect it to come some time; I voted there): https://mattermost.uservoice.com/forums/306457-general/suggestions/13331652-add-sub-channels-groups-or-folders

Interestingly mattermost project uses discourse (see RocketChat/Rocket.Chat#11) for its discussion board/forum: https://forum.mattermost.org/categories