Introduction
Element is an alternative to Microsoft Teams or Slack. Developed by the Matrix Foundation, Element allows you to interact with your colleagues, friends, and other users of this messaging service through the Matrix federation.
Element is multi-platform and supports video conferencing, discussion threads, and many other features.
Note: Element is accessible from a browser, but if you prefer to install the application, you will need to enter the host server name: matrix.lacontrevoie.fr. Be sure to also read the installation instructions in the service FAQ.
Video calls
Start your meetings with the click of a button, no extra setup needed! Join your team video conferences without leaving the chat channel.
Team messaging
Enjoy a robust and proven messaging tool with numerous features: multiple channels, permission system, pinned messages, discussion threads, and, most importantly, reaction emojis and stickers!
Multiplateform
Check your messages on all your devices: Android, iOS, and computers (Windows, Mac OS, and Linux). Never miss a single notification.
Encrypted conversations
No one other than your recipients and you can read your correspondence: message encryption is enabled by default in all your private messages.
You can also enable encryption on a case-by-case basis in the channels of your choice.
Federation enabled
Thanks to Matrix’s federated architecture, people who have a Matrix account elsewhere than on La Contre-Voie’s service can interact in your channels, and vice versa.
Already have a Matrix account? Try joining the #lacontrevoie:lacontrevoie.fr space from your messaging app!
Service reserved to our members
To protect us from spam, this service is reserved for our members, as well as members of organizations affiliated with La Contre-Voie.
To become a member of the association, click here.
By using this service, you fully accept our Terms of Use.
Frequently Asked Questions
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We recommend installing Element on your computer (Windows, Mac OS, and Linux) and Element X on your phone (Android and iOS). You can download the app here.
Once installed, click on “Log in.” Enter matrix.lacontrevoie.fr as the host server. Element will redirect you to your browser to log in with your member area credentials.
Once the new session is open, you will need to either save the recovery key for your account (Element will prompt you to do so) or verify your new session with another device.
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Element may ask you to back up your recovery keys. These keys allow you to encrypt your conversations and verify your devices, so it is very important that you store them in a safe place.
If you lose them and cannot use another device to verify a new session, you may lose your encrypted conversation history.
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These instructions only apply to Element X on Android.
You can check if notifications are working from the app options.
If your phone has Google Play Services (default): you don’t need to do anything, the Element app should use Google Cloud Messaging.
If your phone is “un-Googled”, or you are experiencing issues with notifications:
- Install the ntfy app from the Google Play Store or F-Droid.
- In the ntfy app options, change the default server to
https://ntfy.lacontrevoie.fr.
- In the Element app settings, select ntfy as the notification method and run a diagnostic to check the notification configuration.
- If the app tells you that the configuration is valid, you’re done. Otherwise, contact us with details of your problem.
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If your Matrix account is hosted with us (matrix.lacontrevoie.fr), you should already have joined our general discussion channel (
#general:lacontrevoie.fr) by default.If your Matrix account is hosted on another installation (such as matrix.org), write
#general:lacontrevoie.frin the channel search bar.You can also check out our space that lists all our channels at
#lacontrevoie:lacontrevoie.fr. -
Element allows you to create new channels from within the application. You have several options:
- Create a public channel, which anyone can join by providing the channel name;
- Create a private channel, accessible by invitation only, which can be encrypted.
User rights and permissions can be configured for each channel. The person who creates the channel will always be the administrator of that channel.
To simplify the organization of channels, you can also create a space to group them together and invite all members of your organization to join.
To invite someone to your channel, they must have a Matrix account. Make sure that the person you want to invite has already logged into the Matrix service at least once.
This service also exists elsewhere…
La Contre-Voie isn’t the only one to offer this kind of service, and we invite you to check if the grass isn’t greener with other ethical hosts!
Our association receives no compensation by suggesting these third-party actors that we choose at our discretion. Furthermore, we cannot commit ourselves to the quality of their services.
We maintain this service for you
This service is maintained by La Contre-Voie, a non-profit association recognized of general interest. We ensure daily the proper functioning of this service.
However, we don’t have the financial resources of Google (we do not sell your data!) and if most of our services are free for you, they are not for us: their maintenance requires a personal and financial investment.
We cannot survive without your support. To help us, you can make a donation or join the association.