Subject: Closing the chat trial instances

From: Robert Sparks <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2021 11:14:23 -0500

All -

We are turning off the chat trial instances. This includes:

xmpp-trial1.ietf.org, matrix-trial1.ief.org, and zulip-trial1.ietf.org

We've kept them running quite a bit longer than originally planned, and 
we think we have the information we needed to gather from them.

Going forward:

We are in the process of setting up a standing Zulip server and will 
investigate whether we can integrate that directly with Meetecho as the 
backend for messaging during Meetecho sessions. We will have XMPP-Zulip 
bridging in place as long as both services are active. See the service 
plan at 
https://github.com/rjsparks/zulip-implementation/blob/main/Service-Plan.md

We received feedback from a small number of people that providing a 
Jabber login service was useful, but haven't seen a lot of use of it. 
We're not currently planning on providing this service going forward. 
Anyone relying on it should take advantage of other existing services. 
There is an updated list of alternatives at 
https://www.ietf.org/how/meetings/groupchat/.

We are not planning to continue provide a Matrix service. Interest was 
limited, and it presented a more difficult set of operational 
challenges. See 
https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/tools-discuss/AI5hBp1qnLAH-S9T7XhLF-omFS0/

We have heard and continue to keep in mind the feedback to prefer IETF 
standards.

Timing:

The matrix trial server will be taken down now.
The xmpp trial server will be taken down in two weeks, giving the few 
people who had been using it an opportunity to set up something else.
The zulip trial server will be taken down shortly after the standing 
server is made available to the community.

Please take care to send all discussion to [email-masked]

RjS