I criticized both WhatsApp and Signal in an article linked here previously, and made the same points in a bit more detail: "WhatsApp and the domestication of us

I criticized both WhatsApp and Signal in an article linked here previously, and made the same points in a bit more detail: "WhatsApp and the domestication of users". Discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25982860 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25982860 A sequel [0] describes how an open platform/protocol isn't a silver bullet, since open platforms can become (or act) closed if we're not careful. It goes over XMPP, email, and Matrix; I described Matrix in a generally negative light but I think it still shows promise. [0]: https://seirdy.one/2021/02/23/keeping-platforms-open.html https://seirdy.one/2021/02/23/keeping-platforms-open.html TLDR of [0]: the key is to combine open platforms/protocols with simplicity and diversity.