Since a few days TUG has an official chat on the Matrix network. Below you can find some instructions on how to join the chat. Please let me know in the comments if anything is unclear.
Matrix chat
Matrix is an open, federated messaging platform. Like old-fashioned IRC channels, Matrix chats are organized in rooms. To join a room you need an account on the Matrix network and a client to connect to it. There are several options to obtain an account and a number of clients to choose from. Some of the options are outlined below.
Once you have made an account and chosen a client, you can join the TUG space at #tug:matrix.org and explore the rooms. A space in Matrix is simply a collection of rooms.
Get an account
There are multiple ways to get an account.
The easiest way
By far the easiest way is to just navigate to https://app.element.io/#/register and fill in the fields. You can either choose a username and password to register (email is optional but helps recovering a forgotten password) or you can connect with one of the several authentication providers like GitHub, GitLab, Google, Facebook or Apple. You will still have to choose a username but the authentication of your account will be performed via the chosen provider.
A less easy way
As mentioned in the introduction, Matrix is a federated messaging system and the previous instructions will set up an account on the main server matrix.org. It is not at all necessary to set up an account on this server and you are free to use any other provider like tchncs.de. Your account will then be tied to this server and every server offers slightly different functionality.
The hard way
As outlined in the last point, Matrix is federated and it is also open-source. In fact, you can run your own server and use that to connect to the Matrix network. Of course, this option is only suited for technically proficient users but this way you will completely own your data.
Choosing a client
The Matrix protocol is an open standard and there a number of clients implementing this protocol.
The easiest way
By far the easiest client to use is the web version of the Element client. Just navigate to https://app.element.io/#/login and log in with your username and password.
The less easy way
There are also desktop and mobile versions of the Element client which you can download from https://element.io/get-started or from your operating system's app store.
The hard way
If you are a command line warrior or you use an exotic operating system or you have some specific needs, you can have a look at the collection of alternative Matrix client on https://matrix.org/clients/ and choose your favorite.
