Speaking as a Matrix person: we're quite happy with our adoption, which is accelerating exponentially, and we didn't build Matrix as a hobby: it's been the team's fulltime day job since 2014. Before that we used XMPP (ejabberd + spark + XMPP.framework etc) and eventually decided to build a totally different architecture: one focused on syncing conversation history, rather than sending instant messages. I don't think it dilutes or splits the thin developer community: instead it's increased interest in open comms enormously (as well as helping spur the XMPP community into improving their stuff). Just as Linux didn't somehow destroy BSD.