Basic facts about chat

• Chat uses the Matrix protocol.
• I bought a domain for my cloud server, and I'm using that domain to host a Matrix homeserver.
• The domain is: grayhillcamp.com
• You need a Matrix client. Many Matrix clients exist.
• I'm using an open-source Matrix client program called: Nheko
• Nheko is available from OS package manager in Ubuntu / Debian
• Windows Nheko exists. I have no idea how easy it is to install.
• Pick a username and password, send them to me by text.
• Your username will be @yourname:grayhillcamp.com so you don't have to worry about your favorite name being taken.
• I will register you on the Matrix server.
• After I register you, you will be able to login with your Matrix client.
• I highly recommend you save or write down the recovery key, I may be unable to save your account if you lose it (even with my server admin powers).

Some notes

We are chatting in a chat room called "AA" on the grayhillcamp.com Matrix server.

Joining the "AA" chatroom requires an invitation. The 3 of us are the only people I will ever invite to the "AA" chatroom.

I might make another chat room on the Matrix server, Uncle Dave and maybe other family members can join it.

My rule for giving people a user ID on grayhillcamp.com is: "Are they someone I would feel comfortable inviting to camp, or someone I would expect to see at camp?" Basically, family members and close friends.

Matrix is federated, like email. Basically this means: Anyone can set up a server. You can talk to people from different servers. You "own" your ID and message history, not the server admin.

The setup involves some cryptographic hullabullo and a recovery key. The purpose of this is: "You own your ID." Which means if your homeserver shuts down or bans you, you can still participate in conversations on other servers.