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If you haven't already installed Signal on your phone, please go and do so. To have alternatives to Facebook/W/I we need to build up network effects. Pretty eas

If you haven't already installed Signal on your phone, please go and do so. To have alternatives to Facebook/W/I we need to build up network effects. Pretty easy to convince tech people to do this, and it would be a good start for getting Signal in as a replacement.

antoineMoPa 9y ago
Is signal decentralized? If it is decentralized, how is the network effect built? (Is everyone isolated on their server with a subset of all signal users, or is there a way to communicate with someone using another signal sever?).
- jboynyc 9y ago
  It is not decentralized. All Signal users can communicate with all others.
- srslack 9y ago
  It can be federated (and was in the past) but Moxie has complained about federation holding development back. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_(software)#Federation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_(software)#Federation
  - sridca 9y ago
    > It is unlikely that we will ever federate with any servers outside of our control again, it makes changes really difficult. https://github.com/LibreSignal/LibreSignal/issues/37#issuecomment-217211165 https://github.com/LibreSignal/LibreSignal/issues/37#issueco... So doesn't that mean a single party will control Signal? What prevents them from becoming the next Facebook?
soziawa 9y ago
While Signal is nice it's rather worrying that it's free. I'd rather use a paid alternative like Threema.
- czechdeveloper 9y ago
  Good luck convincing your friends to buy any sort of IM application. It's already difficult now to convince them "just for privacy".
  - soziawa 9y ago
    Easy. I respond on Threema within 30 minutes and on WhatsApp within half a week.
- gault8121 9y ago
  They are now in the process of becoming a nonprofit and recently won a $50m grant.
  - soziawa 9y ago
    They haven't won anything. It was given to them by the cofounder of WhatsApp because he dislikes Facebook. Nonprofit doesn't mean the developers don't have to eat. Money has to come from somewhere.

antoineMoPa 9y ago

Is signal decentralized? If it is decentralized, how is the network effect built? (Is everyone isolated on their server with a subset of all signal users, or is there a way to communicate with someone using another signal sever?).

jboynyc 9y ago
It is not decentralized. All Signal users can communicate with all others.
srslack 9y ago
It can be federated (and was in the past) but Moxie has complained about federation holding development back. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_(software)#Federation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_(software)#Federation
- sridca 9y ago
  > It is unlikely that we will ever federate with any servers outside of our control again, it makes changes really difficult. https://github.com/LibreSignal/LibreSignal/issues/37#issuecomment-217211165 https://github.com/LibreSignal/LibreSignal/issues/37#issueco... So doesn't that mean a single party will control Signal? What prevents them from becoming the next Facebook?

soziawa 9y ago

While Signal is nice it's rather worrying that it's free. I'd rather use a paid alternative like Threema.

czechdeveloper 9y ago
Good luck convincing your friends to buy any sort of IM application. It's already difficult now to convince them "just for privacy".
- soziawa 9y ago
  Easy. I respond on Threema within 30 minutes and on WhatsApp within half a week.
gault8121 9y ago
They are now in the process of becoming a nonprofit and recently won a $50m grant.
- soziawa 9y ago
  They haven't won anything. It was given to them by the cofounder of WhatsApp because he dislikes Facebook. Nonprofit doesn't mean the developers don't have to eat. Money has to come from somewhere.