4 ms·

So after a couple of years of silence, Julian Assange finally speaks out to spruik a messaging app? Colour me skeptical...

vintermann 5y ago
The reason he's been silent is that he's been kept in isolation, is deeply ill and has only a fragmentary picture of what's going on in the outside world, based on the little they can discuss openly during visits (knowing everything is recorded to be used against him in any way possible). Your sneering says more about what color you are.
- boomboomsubban 5y ago
  >has only a fragmentary picture of what's going on in the outside world, based on the little they can discuss openly during visits And his fragmentary picture includes app recommendations? Skepticism seems like the right call, even though he has a very good reason for his years of silence.
  - vintermann 5y ago
    The app has been around in some form since 2014. In promoting it, Wikileaks are relating it to discussions in 2011 with Eric Schmidt, then Google chairman, first published in 2014. It's not so surprising that Assange would have had strong opinions on both the limits and opportunities of mesh networking, and knowledge about who were working on it who were competent and had sound ideas. Briar got an independent security audit in 2017.
    - boomboomsubban 5y ago
      Everything you said in this post about Briar is a better reason to use the app than Assanges prison recommendation.
      - vintermann 5y ago
        Well, I'm answering why he would recommend it. But if you couldn't evaluate the technical stuff yourself, you'd do well to trust Assange's (and also Snowden's) recommendation on such things above almost anyone else's.
boomboomsubban 5y ago
It seems true https://mobile.twitter.com/wikileaks/status/1497314070738911236 https://mobile.twitter.com/wikileaks/status/1497314070738911... I also find it strange that he'd push something like this from prison and somewhat question how strong his recommendations are given he's been cut off from the digital world for several years. But I know nothing about the app.

vintermann 5y ago

The reason he's been silent is that he's been kept in isolation, is deeply ill and has only a fragmentary picture of what's going on in the outside world, based on the little they can discuss openly during visits (knowing everything is recorded to be used against him in any way possible). Your sneering says more about what color you are.

boomboomsubban 5y ago
>has only a fragmentary picture of what's going on in the outside world, based on the little they can discuss openly during visits And his fragmentary picture includes app recommendations? Skepticism seems like the right call, even though he has a very good reason for his years of silence.
- vintermann 5y ago
  The app has been around in some form since 2014. In promoting it, Wikileaks are relating it to discussions in 2011 with Eric Schmidt, then Google chairman, first published in 2014. It's not so surprising that Assange would have had strong opinions on both the limits and opportunities of mesh networking, and knowledge about who were working on it who were competent and had sound ideas. Briar got an independent security audit in 2017.
  - boomboomsubban 5y ago
    Everything you said in this post about Briar is a better reason to use the app than Assanges prison recommendation.
    - vintermann 5y ago
      Well, I'm answering why he would recommend it. But if you couldn't evaluate the technical stuff yourself, you'd do well to trust Assange's (and also Snowden's) recommendation on such things above almost anyone else's.

boomboomsubban 5y ago

It seems true https://mobile.twitter.com/wikileaks/status/1497314070738911236 https://mobile.twitter.com/wikileaks/status/1497314070738911... I also find it strange that he'd push something like this from prison and somewhat question how strong his recommendations are given he's been cut off from the digital world for several years. But I know nothing about the app.