6 ms·

WhatsApp? Name one messenger that is not closed source and the masses use.

by kgraves 7y ago

drewbug 7y ago
Email
- kgraves 7y ago
  I agree that the masses use this, but I'm not sure that you can compare email to WhatsApp, maybe a fair comparison would be _instant_ messengers. Also open source?, I doubt it.
  - contravariant 7y ago
    The protocol is open, even if the most commonly used implementations may not be. As for secure, well that's a whole other matter.
  - gsich 7y ago
    Mails are usually instant. Yes, open source.
- UncleMeat 7y ago
  Terrible ergonomics. The probability that somebody replies with a quote of the entire unencrypted thread when attempting to use PGP approaches 1 for long email chains. Encrypted email also leaks not just metadata but data since you can't encrypt subject headers.
  - Multicomp 7y ago
    Delta.Chat fixes this
doorbellguy 7y ago
Signal?[1] 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_%28software%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_%28software%29
- kgraves 7y ago
  Disagree, the masses don't use this software, I know nobody who uses this. Plus, the technology behind it is already in WhatsApp. Although it is a privacy based, (good for _some_ people) I don't see why the masses would use this if WhatsApp is there.
  - doorbellguy 7y ago
    I'm not here to debate you on anecdotal data (I know 5 people off the top of my head who do use it). It has a respectable 10,000,000+ installs on the google play store and ranks high on the apple store with 270,000+ reviews. Though not comparable with the likes of WhatsApp (which I personally use and prefer), I would not dismiss it as 'not' a mainstream option. We can agree to disagree for sure.
    - ianlevesque 7y ago
      WhatsApp hit two billion users last month.
    - 0x38B 7y ago
      Also anecdotal evidence, but my contacts are gradually showing up in Signal - and I continue to recommend it to friends and colleagues.
      - mercer 7y ago
        I was pleasantly surprised that my therapist (60+ years old) is now using it with his clients because of the coronavirus.
  - SquishyPanda23 7y ago
    > Plus, the technology behind it is already in WhatsApp. Some of the tech is in WhatsApp, but it's misleading to imply that this means WhatsApp is a good replacement for Signal if you care about privacy. One of WhatsApp's two co-founders left WhatsApp when he saw what Facebook was doing and has since been pumping a lot of money into Signal.
est31 7y ago
Nato has traditionally been an xmpp user. Now there are discussions about a successor. Matrix is being rolled out inside the french state (including the military) and there have been proposals to switch nato to it. I consider nato as well as french state employees to be "masses" of people.
- seba_dos1 7y ago
  I wonder why is the successor needed at all, considering that XMPP is experiencing its renaissance right now?
gsich 7y ago
Email

WhatsApp? Name one messenger that is not closed source and the masses use.

drewbug 7y ago

kgraves 7y ago
I agree that the masses use this, but I'm not sure that you can compare email to WhatsApp, maybe a fair comparison would be _instant_ messengers. Also open source?, I doubt it.
- contravariant 7y ago
  The protocol is open, even if the most commonly used implementations may not be. As for secure, well that's a whole other matter.
- gsich 7y ago
  Mails are usually instant. Yes, open source.
UncleMeat 7y ago
Terrible ergonomics. The probability that somebody replies with a quote of the entire unencrypted thread when attempting to use PGP approaches 1 for long email chains. Encrypted email also leaks not just metadata but data since you can't encrypt subject headers.
- Multicomp 7y ago
  Delta.Chat fixes this

doorbellguy 7y ago

Signal?[1] 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_%28software%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_%28software%29

kgraves 7y ago
Disagree, the masses don't use this software, I know nobody who uses this. Plus, the technology behind it is already in WhatsApp. Although it is a privacy based, (good for _some_ people) I don't see why the masses would use this if WhatsApp is there.
- doorbellguy 7y ago
  I'm not here to debate you on anecdotal data (I know 5 people off the top of my head who do use it). It has a respectable 10,000,000+ installs on the google play store and ranks high on the apple store with 270,000+ reviews. Though not comparable with the likes of WhatsApp (which I personally use and prefer), I would not dismiss it as 'not' a mainstream option. We can agree to disagree for sure.
  - ianlevesque 7y ago
    WhatsApp hit two billion users last month.
  - 0x38B 7y ago
    Also anecdotal evidence, but my contacts are gradually showing up in Signal - and I continue to recommend it to friends and colleagues.
    - mercer 7y ago
      I was pleasantly surprised that my therapist (60+ years old) is now using it with his clients because of the coronavirus.
- SquishyPanda23 7y ago
  > Plus, the technology behind it is already in WhatsApp. Some of the tech is in WhatsApp, but it's misleading to imply that this means WhatsApp is a good replacement for Signal if you care about privacy. One of WhatsApp's two co-founders left WhatsApp when he saw what Facebook was doing and has since been pumping a lot of money into Signal.

est31 7y ago

Nato has traditionally been an xmpp user. Now there are discussions about a successor. Matrix is being rolled out inside the french state (including the military) and there have been proposals to switch nato to it. I consider nato as well as french state employees to be "masses" of people.

seba_dos1 7y ago
I wonder why is the successor needed at all, considering that XMPP is experiencing its renaissance right now?

gsich 7y ago