This is my old account that I just logged in today. Just joined a server and Discord asked for email verification. Okay, that's not hard, thankfully Discord doesn't restrict email to only big providers. But then suddenly DIscord asked to verify by phone number, because "something is out of ordinary". What's out of ordinary from that??? Joining a server > Discord asks to verify > I verify.
I was losing my mind seeing people suggesting moving to Discord when Rexxit happened. Like WTF, it's even worse than Reddit. Non-indexable content, worse privacy, needing account just to access the said content, etc.
I really hate how services nowadays require your phone number just to use their service. Unfortunately most people just don't care of privacy, thanks to "I have nothing to hide" mindset.
These are basically my sentiments, both towards Discord and Matrix. I have been seeing more and more matrix communities around the places I browse, which is definitely a good sign. Hopefully, the growth continues significantly. I am lucky in that I managed to get my friends to use Matrix, whether that be switching entirely or just using it alongside discord. So, i'm fortunate to be in a situation where I almost never have to open Discord, except in exceptionally rare circumstances.