Handmade Cities Chat

Visit the Chat Server

The server lives on chat.handmadecities.com. Below is a list of common questions you might have about it.

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I can't register an account!

Handmade Cities now maintains a Matrix server all year round. It’s a private chat server because there is no open registration.

How can I join?

You’ll receive an invite to the server if you’re:

  • A ticket holder
  • Attending local meetups
  • A conference member

So if you bought a ticket, attended a meetup or became a member, contact Abner if you haven’t been invited (contact info on website footer.)

I prefer to stay anonymous.

As you can see, the process of joining this server removes your anonymity. This is by design!

Handmade Cities favors real-world connections. If you prefer a little more privacy, visit our online counterpart instead: the Handmade Network! They have a Discord with open registration for everyone, including anonymous lurkers.

Why Matrix?

We acknowledge the unrivaled user experience on Discord. With that said, Handmade Cities chooses Matrix because of core principles:

  • Self-Hosting: We want things in-house wherever possible (we’re running Matrix on our own servers.)
  • Privacy: We require encryption for direct messages (DMs) between users; it’s none of our business what you discuss with others.
Any plans to improve UX?

The major complaint at Handmade Seattle 2023 was bad performance during peak hours. We have increased server/hardware resources since then, and we’re installing monitors so we know when to increase them again.

We rely on Element, the official app from the creators of Matrix. It’s no Discord but it’s decent enough to be getting on with.

Any further plans would be announced on the newsletter.