That's great and all but Discord is still on my short list of services to ditch.AND FFS DISCORD, I DO NOT WANT NITRO, I JUST WANT TO TALK TO MY FRIENDS!!
this post was submitted on 09 Dec 2025
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Using Matrix with Element instead?
There's really nothing else out there that can do all it does.
Man do I hate its UI though. Ick.
Why are we saying Linux PCs AND steam deck? The steam deck is just a Linux PC. Unless custom work was done for it?
A lot of custom work was done for it. Custom drivers, custom window manager, most of it upstreamed, if not all. It is not as different as an Android Phone, but I believe we can say it is not primarily a Linux PC, but rather an handheld that comes with an integrated Linux PC.
No, it's a Linux PC. You just never leave steam big picture mode if you're basic.
So is any Android phone in such case. Form factor matters.
The Deck is a Linux handheld, that can be converted to a Linux PC depending on the accessories used. But by itself, with no accessories whatsoever, good luck using it as a PC.
A laptop can be considered as a PC, as it has all the peripheral integrated into his chassis, a desktop too (as it cannot be used without peripherals, they can be counted as part of it), but a Deck primary use is handheld gaming, not personal computing. Its included peripherals cannot allow it use as such.
It's... Not a desktop?
It is a personal computer, it runs Linux, I recognize KDE, I can fuck around in terminal. In what ways is it not a personal computer? I don't understand.
Also, are you a llm from like 2021?
Also, are you a llm from like 2021?
I'm a human with an opinion you may not share, for whom English is not his primary language. So grammatical error are to be expected. Now if you can come down of your high horse and not assume anyone with whom you do not agree is a LLM, that'd be great.
It is a personal computer, it runs Linux, I recognize KDE, I can fuck around in terminal. In what ways is it not a personal computer? I don’t understand.
Try to do a spreadsheet on the deck without any accessory. It is possible, but very fastidious. It isn't an hardware made to do personal computing (aka, a PC), it is an hardware to play game.
A PC isn't just a software, it is also a hardware specifically made to allow various computing tasks. Calculus, graphical work of various kinds, sometimes games (which have to adapt to peripherals that weren't made for games in mind).
A Deck is made for games first, and the various other task you may want to do have to work around its limitation. From my point of view, this cannot be called a PC.
But that's my opinion, I won't force anyone else to agree with me, or call them a LLM out of spite.
I mean, try to do a spreadsheet on a PC without any accessories. You can't, because there's no monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc... All accessories. By this logic, only laptops can really be called PCs.
Replace any desktop tower with a Steam Deck and you'll find it's perfectly capable of doing the same job.
Think this might be a language issue then.
Bad form, dude. Tisk.
I can usually tell 'second language' use patterns.
Still not a valid argument in this case. It's basically an ad hominem, or on that level of argumentation.
It was a weird pattern. I grew up talking to second language speakers as often as first.
Maybe it's an llm bullshitting us, maybe they learned in some weird way like 'Mandarin, Python, English'. Maybe your mom is not a valid argument? Who can say?
Maybe your mom is not a valid argument?
Are you actively trying to pick fights now?
If you never leave Big Picture mode, then you probably don't run Discord.
For the common Joe who has a Steam Deck and doesn't really care if it's powered by Linux or BSD or whatever
Everyone else in this comments section didn't read the article lmao, it's because they did steam deck specific fixes.
Go Live on Steamdeck is now faster with zero-copy encoding from Gamescope, making it possible to share the action with your friends without burning up your Steamdeck.
Good stuff. Now stop the espionage and make Diacord open-source and Free Software. Otherwise, I refuse to use it.
Audio on chat is busted on linux since last update but sure
Not a solution but I found on steam is I couldn't get audio or mic to work. It would disconnect my audio devices when the app was open like pipewire was disconnecting. I then installed bazzite and it worked fine. This is from a PC not a steam deck though so steam os may be missing some drivers and such.
Please don't install this shit on your computer
What's the alternative then? Because I can't really think of one that's as easy as discord to stand up a server for your friends and manage access to it, not to mention audio and video with screen sharing. I guess teamspeak 3, but holy shit is it convoluted and complicated to setup and manage for the everyday user. There's gilded but fuck that shit I'm not supporting the Roblox company. Revolt is another but there is no voice chat, no video chat, no screen sharing and it's filled with sketchy people. Matrix? Sure, but it's not easy to setup and manage at all. Discord works for what it needs to do and the features it has, if there's an alternative I'm more than willing to try it out but so far there's just nothing that comes close to the ease of use of discord. Discord is also supported on both Xbox and PlayStation, Sony even owns a minority stake in the company.
Revolt rebranded as Stoat and does have voice chat with discord-style hotseat channels available in beta. I still wouldn't recommend it yet due to client bugs, but it's getting there.
Probably not what GP was referring to, but Discord works totally fine in-browser without a client.
Less potential for vulns, telemetry, regressions, etc.
If you are using PC, Check out Element. It does utilize Matrix, but that gives you the ability to self host if you wish. Voice and video works well enough for me and my friends to stream to the room and was a suitable replacement for Discord.
Why do you think 'don't install this shit on your computer' is a concern?
And I guess if you can't fuck with matrix, idk; fucking do without? Might just be there's no safe easy-for-idiots way to get the thing you want right now. Shit happens.
Today I deleted my Discord account, I was using it in Firefox or Webcord wrapper. I can't imagine installing this type of software on my computer. It's scanning your computer by default to check what programs are you using or what games are you playing and it's properiaty, commercial app.
You never know how the data they collect about you will be used. It's a great tool for censorship, and Discord has good communication with the authorities. Despite this, they still have no problem with violence in the form of groups encouraging teenagers to self-harm, Nazis, and gore or pornographic content of a pedophilic or zoophilic nature. Unfortunately, as a minor, I came across a lot of this type of content there completely by accident. A large, centralized, unencrypted messenger allows for accurate tracking or complete destruction of a user's history. This is important for political oppression, falsification, and evidence gathering.
Most people are too lazy to change anything in their lives, even their messenger, out of concern for their privacy and security. And there are alternatives, but they won't even be able to emerge because of this majority. It's not that all these messengers are free and we all pay dearly for them, but not with our own money. Money is not as valuable as power and the right to one's identity.
If Matrix had as much money as Discord (where there are much better freedom-oriented alternatives to Discord), it would probably allow for the same simplicity as Discord. Unfortunately, ethical activity plays a secondary role for us. It's the same with clothing—it's easier to get clothes that are cheaply made in poor countries by exploiting children than clothes that are made locally with respect for workers' rights.
I am not providing alternatives, because if someone does not understand this and is too lazy to look for them themselves, they should not clutter up spaces where valuable people gather.
It’s scanning your computer by default to check what programs are you using or what games are you playing
This is exactly why I like Discord.
If I'm online and not playing a game, I want my friends to see that I'm online so they can message me.
If I'm playing a game, I want my friends to know I am playing that game.
If it's a multiplayer game, they can join in.
If it's a single player campaign focused game, they know I won't be keen to play a multiplayer game right now, but they can still message me if something big and spontaneous is happening.
If I don't want to be contacted at all, I close discord.
Thats what steam is for.
What about non-steam games or discord game invites?
You can launch non-steam games through steam. As for discord game invites... dunno, litterally never use that.
Ditched mine years ago. I'm worried about the idiots who were too dumb to leave who are gonna die to this shit, who might already be getting got for things like being queer in Saudi Arabia.
As the other said, what are the alternatives? All my gaming friends are on Discord. I tried to make them switch to another platform but they won't budge. I'm stuck with discord.
Why?/what are the alternatives?
Unfortunately it's a necessary evil if you want voice and video chat. I think people and companies that use it professionally for customer support and similar are making a terrible choice. If there were a competing product that was as simple to setup and had even the most basic voice and chat features without the extra discord bloat, I'd jump ship, but that's not really an option right now.