as a big proponent of FOSS I see where you’re coming from - but the reality will always be that apps which have a significant learning curve to even install are obviously hugely off-putting to the majority of users.
i think part of the problem is that stuff like matrix is built for a very specific interface. Where as we could build something like matrix, in a different design meta, more akin to something like mumble, which not only greatly simplifies the construction of it, but also greatly simplifies administration of it. The protocol itself shouldn’t innately require an obtuse arbitrary system that makes it a nightmare.
Anything that is remotely related to “web apps” or web in general, seems to be an utter fucking nightmare these days. I think we need a healthy dose of dedicated native applications.