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A bold move by Wire. Open source is still a very disruptive play, and the world needs something like this. If they manage this well and triple down on developer

A bold move by Wire. Open source is still a very disruptive play, and the world needs something like this. If they manage this well and triple down on developer engagement, it could work out quite nicely for them. EDIT: Thread title is slightly misleading. It looks like they did a Telegram. There is no server here.

niftich 10y ago
Correct, there's no server. I will avoid blockquoting large amounts of text but on their open source summary page [1], they give you two options: 1. you point your implementation to their server and you have to abide by their additional terms (which is exactly what I'd expect) - or - 2. you point your implementation to somewhere else, unspecified, and you're only bound by GPLv3 Right now, #2 is moot because there is no compatible server you can host. Once someone implements a compatible server, this will get a lot more exciting. [1] https://github.com/wireapp/wire#open-source https://github.com/wireapp/wire#open-source
- ZenoArrow 10y ago
  Does the Wire licence agreement allow you to create a standalone server though? https://github.com/wireapp/wire/blob/master/README.md https://github.com/wireapp/wire/blob/master/README.md "Additionally, if you choose to build an Open Source App, certain restrictions apply, as follows: a. You agree not to change the way the Open Source App connects and interacts with our servers" Even if the company behind Wire seems trustworthy, if I cared about security I wouldn't want any interaction between clients to go through a server I didn't have control over.
  - niftich 10y ago
    If you read it in context, they say: "If you compile the open source software that we make available from time to time to develop your own mobile, desktop or web application, and cause that application to connect to our servers for any purposes, we refer to that resulting application as an 'Open Source App'." Then, they say the part you quoted, so the gist is that if you elect to use their servers, you have to use them the out-of-the-box way. But you're not required to use their servers, if you can somehow procure a compatible one. They're not helping you with that, though.
  - chrischen 10y ago
    If the end to end encryption is implemented correctly then you don't have to worry about what their server does.
    - heinrich5991 10y ago
      You still have to worry about that because it still receives the so-called "metadata".
  - daveloyall 10y ago
    Ugh, they are doing it wrong. Software with restrictions like that isn't GPL compatible. Full stop. In the parlance of the Free Software Foundation: Restrictions like that violate Freedom Zero: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html In this case, there is a clear path forward: remove these restrictions from the FOSS apps and place them in the ToS of the services operated by Wire Swiss GmbH. It's obvious that Wire wants to be able to ban clients that behave poorly. (Like spambots, flooders, etc.) By presuming that all official Wire clients will always be good, they a muddling the issue. What they really need here is a ToS on their server. Basically: "You can connect here with whatever client you want, but we reserve the right to killban you."

niftich 10y ago

Correct, there's no server. I will avoid blockquoting large amounts of text but on their open source summary page [1], they give you two options: 1. you point your implementation to their server and you have to abide by their additional terms (which is exactly what I'd expect) - or - 2. you point your implementation to somewhere else, unspecified, and you're only bound by GPLv3 Right now, #2 is moot because there is no compatible server you can host. Once someone implements a compatible server, this will get a lot more exciting. [1] https://github.com/wireapp/wire#open-source https://github.com/wireapp/wire#open-source

ZenoArrow 10y ago
Does the Wire licence agreement allow you to create a standalone server though? https://github.com/wireapp/wire/blob/master/README.md https://github.com/wireapp/wire/blob/master/README.md "Additionally, if you choose to build an Open Source App, certain restrictions apply, as follows: a. You agree not to change the way the Open Source App connects and interacts with our servers" Even if the company behind Wire seems trustworthy, if I cared about security I wouldn't want any interaction between clients to go through a server I didn't have control over.
- niftich 10y ago
  If you read it in context, they say: "If you compile the open source software that we make available from time to time to develop your own mobile, desktop or web application, and cause that application to connect to our servers for any purposes, we refer to that resulting application as an 'Open Source App'." Then, they say the part you quoted, so the gist is that if you elect to use their servers, you have to use them the out-of-the-box way. But you're not required to use their servers, if you can somehow procure a compatible one. They're not helping you with that, though.
- chrischen 10y ago
  If the end to end encryption is implemented correctly then you don't have to worry about what their server does.
  - heinrich5991 10y ago
    You still have to worry about that because it still receives the so-called "metadata".
- daveloyall 10y ago
  Ugh, they are doing it wrong. Software with restrictions like that isn't GPL compatible. Full stop. In the parlance of the Free Software Foundation: Restrictions like that violate Freedom Zero: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html In this case, there is a clear path forward: remove these restrictions from the FOSS apps and place them in the ToS of the services operated by Wire Swiss GmbH. It's obvious that Wire wants to be able to ban clients that behave poorly. (Like spambots, flooders, etc.) By presuming that all official Wire clients will always be good, they a muddling the issue. What they really need here is a ToS on their server. Basically: "You can connect here with whatever client you want, but we reserve the right to killban you."