4 ms·

Xkcd: Messaging Systems

18 points by gripfx 6y ago

dominicl 6y ago
Skype doesn't belong into the right box. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/05/think-your-skype-messages-get-end-to-end-encryption-think-again/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/05/think...
- vaduz 6y ago
  In 2018 Microsoft added an implementation of Signal protocol as "Private Conversations". https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA34824/what-are-skype-private-conversations https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA34824/what-are-skype-priv... Also, one thing that was pointed out in that article back when it was raised: as the company controls the application you install, and as the application neds to decrypt the data for you, there is nothing stopping it from processing the E2E-encrypted message and requesting the scan for any URL found from a central MS server. The same is true for Signal, Whatsapp and iMessage for that matter (and others).
wartijn_ 6y ago
I know WhatsApp isn't supported by everyone, but in some parts of the world it almost is. I don't know anyone with a mobile phone, but without WhatsApp.
- jaclaz 6y ago
  >I don't know anyone with a mobile phone, but without WhatsApp. A smartphone, you mean. Personally I do have a smartphone that I rarely use, but my everyday telephone is a good ol' Nokia[1] that does what it is supposed to do (telephone and SMS) just fine. [1] smaller, lighter than any smartphone and three or more days worth of battery
  - wartijn_ 6y ago
    > A smartphone, you mean I actually mean a mobile phone, because I don't know anyone who only has a "dumb" phone. A know a few people didn't have a smartphone for a while, but they've all got one now. Maybe some of my great aunts don't have a smartphone, but everyone else I know between the ages of 11 and 70 does have a smartphone with WhatsApp installed on it.
MaxBarraclough 6y ago
I'd add a fourth dimension: is it Free and Open Source software? WhatsApp is proprietary software owned by Facebook, for instance.
comradesmith 6y ago
SMS is great, nobody has issues with installing apps, forgetting/losing their login credentials, or needing to "add people". You just exchange numbers and it works, you can send anything too, we'll, anything you can hyperlink to. What we really need to cement SMS is cheap international messaging (unless that's already a thing and I just don't know the rates)
- ClikeX 6y ago
  One thing that broke SMS here in the Netherlands is that Whatsapp offered media as well. As MMS never got off the ground and just died off. If you don't have Whatsapp in the Netherlands you're basically of the communication grid for others.
- toper-centage 6y ago
  SMS already saved my ass a few times this year when I ran out of data or am in an area with almost no signal.
sumbry 6y ago
SMS refuses to die because it's the serial console of the internet.
tinus_hn 6y ago
What about Telegram?
- toper-centage 6y ago
  Doesn't fit neatly in the diagram. Has e2e encryption, but only in private chats.
dhruvmittal 6y ago
Something something RCS. (It works & is genuinely quite pleasant, as long as you have friends & family who also have pixels).

18 points by gripfx 6y ago

Skype doesn't belong into the right box. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/05/think-your-skype-messages-get-end-to-end-encryption-think-again/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/05/think...

vaduz 6y ago
In 2018 Microsoft added an implementation of Signal protocol as "Private Conversations". https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA34824/what-are-skype-private-conversations https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA34824/what-are-skype-priv... Also, one thing that was pointed out in that article back when it was raised: as the company controls the application you install, and as the application neds to decrypt the data for you, there is nothing stopping it from processing the E2E-encrypted message and requesting the scan for any URL found from a central MS server. The same is true for Signal, Whatsapp and iMessage for that matter (and others).

wartijn_ 6y ago

I know WhatsApp isn't supported by everyone, but in some parts of the world it almost is. I don't know anyone with a mobile phone, but without WhatsApp.

jaclaz 6y ago
>I don't know anyone with a mobile phone, but without WhatsApp. A smartphone, you mean. Personally I do have a smartphone that I rarely use, but my everyday telephone is a good ol' Nokia[1] that does what it is supposed to do (telephone and SMS) just fine. [1] smaller, lighter than any smartphone and three or more days worth of battery
- wartijn_ 6y ago
  > A smartphone, you mean I actually mean a mobile phone, because I don't know anyone who only has a "dumb" phone. A know a few people didn't have a smartphone for a while, but they've all got one now. Maybe some of my great aunts don't have a smartphone, but everyone else I know between the ages of 11 and 70 does have a smartphone with WhatsApp installed on it.

MaxBarraclough 6y ago

I'd add a fourth dimension: is it Free and Open Source software? WhatsApp is proprietary software owned by Facebook, for instance.

comradesmith 6y ago

SMS is great, nobody has issues with installing apps, forgetting/losing their login credentials, or needing to "add people". You just exchange numbers and it works, you can send anything too, we'll, anything you can hyperlink to. What we really need to cement SMS is cheap international messaging (unless that's already a thing and I just don't know the rates)

ClikeX 6y ago
One thing that broke SMS here in the Netherlands is that Whatsapp offered media as well. As MMS never got off the ground and just died off. If you don't have Whatsapp in the Netherlands you're basically of the communication grid for others.
toper-centage 6y ago
SMS already saved my ass a few times this year when I ran out of data or am in an area with almost no signal.

sumbry 6y ago

SMS refuses to die because it's the serial console of the internet.

tinus_hn 6y ago

What about Telegram?

toper-centage 6y ago
Doesn't fit neatly in the diagram. Has e2e encryption, but only in private chats.

dhruvmittal 6y ago

Something something RCS. (It works & is genuinely quite pleasant, as long as you have friends & family who also have pixels).