Disappearing and self-destructing messages for Matrix

1. With Matrix (@ Wikipedia) some trends seem to be forever going on. Like data retention / history control features. First those were ready, then caused so many problems that the features got rolled back and can't be used without data corruption.

2. Disappearing and self-destructing messages, including message history archive retention and data storage duration control (message retention policy (@ brendan.abolivier.bzh)) are perfect examples. It's also possible to configure burn on read / burning messages with Matrix.

3. Also burn messages after read features work, thanks to the last read markers.

4. How? By using a bot which implements all these features. 

5. I were initially very hesitant to compete with official project goals, because those were clear and being actively worked on. If I would do something, I would just be wasting my own resources in the pointless competition. But now a few years later, the project goals are still there, but nothing has happened so far. Except that some of the already rolled out features have been disabled. - Unfortunately this applies to many other annoying issues and bugs with Matrix as well.

6. I just got really sick'n'tired with that and wrote the bot to get the tasks done. Because I can't use a messaging platform that doesn't handle data retention in a sane way.

7. Now I'm finally able to use Matrix so that messages get deleted after sane interval, and not archived forever. Of course this means that the servers and clients which receive the delete requests have to obey the request when one arrives.

8. That's it, done. I see many users constantly whining about Matrix "permanent record" where messages and even encryption keys are stored forever. So there had to be a fix to the problem.

9. Because the deletion is implemented on Matrix level, it works with any client using the Matrix services, which supports message deletes. Like Hydrogen.

2023-04-23