The author dives into a detailed conversation about message order in Matrix, sharing personal opinions and principles learned from discussions with colleagues at Element. The APIs for fetching messages are explained, highlighting the discrepancy in message order between /sync and /messages. A debate arises on the importance of consistent message order across clients, leading to discussions on topological order and potential solutions. The author also delves into the complexity of state resolution and the challenges of maintaining a linear timeline when homeservers backpaginate. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for a persistent sync order and addressing potential issues with a linearized timeline.
https://artificialworlds.net/blog/2024/12/04/message-order-in-matrix/