6 ms·

The current mobile software ecosystem makes me so angry. We could truly have flip phones if only whatsapp, imessage, and whatever else were open protocols. Just

The current mobile software ecosystem makes me so angry. We could truly have flip phones if only whatsapp, imessage, and whatever else were open protocols. Just program a simplified client that sips battery and is optimized for number keys and I would be golden. Instead if you want to have the privilege of sending text messages you have to pack a whole android distribution to install some bloated unoptimized app

dlivingston 4y ago
Matrix offers bridges to a large number of messaging services (WhatsApp & iMessage included). I don’t know why it hasn’t become more popular. https://matrix.org/bridges/ https://matrix.org/bridges/
- renewiltord 4y ago
  How do they implement iMessage? Through a puppet VM of some sort?
  - jdmoreira 4y ago
    You need a mac computer and the bridge reads some local folder as far as I know
  - SahAssar 4y ago
    It needs you to run the bridge on either a mac or a jailbroken iphone. Connecting matrix to non-open ecosystems is a bit hit-and-miss in that it often requires you to run bridges in special ways and there are sometimes ways it breaks unexpectedly. I expect that to improve if the EU passes its law to force more interoperability.
- HidyBush 4y ago
  I know about matrix bridges, but I'm sorry to say they're a pipe dream. First of all I would have to manage them myself, which is a pain and costs money. Secondly, anything could break at any time: the vps provider, the domain provider, the matrix server, the bridges themselves could go unmaintained or suddenly not be compatible anymore. It's truly a flaky hack, and in truth you shouldn't need a flaky hack to send a photo to your uncle using whatsapp
  - sa1 4y ago
    Beeper[1] is an app hosting these matrix bridges for you. 1: https://www.beeper.com/ https://www.beeper.com/
  - 0x38B 4y ago
    There's matrix-docker-ansible-deploy (1), an Ansible Playbook that makes setting up a Matrix homeserver and bridges easier. But it's still a pain, like you said. I ran one for a while (with bridges for Skype, Instagram DM, etc), but decided it was too much work and deleted it. 1: https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy
izacus 4y ago
This is running a slimmed down, memory saving version of Android (that is - Go edition). What exactly is preventing you from buying it, if that's what you care about? It's literally what you want.
golergka 4y ago
> the privilege of sending text messages And dropbox is just rsync with extra whistles, right? I don't think that modern messaging apps could be trivialized to just "sending text messages". And even if you in particular don't use all the other features, all the other people who create network effects do.
- HidyBush 4y ago
  I don't understand your reply. Are you implying that Dropbox is so advanced that it couldn't be implemented on a simpler device? Are you seriously telling me you need Android to send encrypted blobs over the internet?
  - golergka 4y ago
    I'm referencing an infamous HN comment on Dropbox.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

dlivingston 4y ago

Matrix offers bridges to a large number of messaging services (WhatsApp & iMessage included). I don’t know why it hasn’t become more popular. https://matrix.org/bridges/ https://matrix.org/bridges/

renewiltord 4y ago
How do they implement iMessage? Through a puppet VM of some sort?
- jdmoreira 4y ago
  You need a mac computer and the bridge reads some local folder as far as I know
- SahAssar 4y ago
  It needs you to run the bridge on either a mac or a jailbroken iphone. Connecting matrix to non-open ecosystems is a bit hit-and-miss in that it often requires you to run bridges in special ways and there are sometimes ways it breaks unexpectedly. I expect that to improve if the EU passes its law to force more interoperability.
HidyBush 4y ago
I know about matrix bridges, but I'm sorry to say they're a pipe dream. First of all I would have to manage them myself, which is a pain and costs money. Secondly, anything could break at any time: the vps provider, the domain provider, the matrix server, the bridges themselves could go unmaintained or suddenly not be compatible anymore. It's truly a flaky hack, and in truth you shouldn't need a flaky hack to send a photo to your uncle using whatsapp
- sa1 4y ago
  Beeper[1] is an app hosting these matrix bridges for you. 1: https://www.beeper.com/ https://www.beeper.com/
- 0x38B 4y ago
  There's matrix-docker-ansible-deploy (1), an Ansible Playbook that makes setting up a Matrix homeserver and bridges easier. But it's still a pain, like you said. I ran one for a while (with bridges for Skype, Instagram DM, etc), but decided it was too much work and deleted it. 1: https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy

izacus 4y ago

This is running a slimmed down, memory saving version of Android (that is - Go edition). What exactly is preventing you from buying it, if that's what you care about? It's literally what you want.

golergka 4y ago

> the privilege of sending text messages And dropbox is just rsync with extra whistles, right? I don't think that modern messaging apps could be trivialized to just "sending text messages". And even if you in particular don't use all the other features, all the other people who create network effects do.

HidyBush 4y ago
I don't understand your reply. Are you implying that Dropbox is so advanced that it couldn't be implemented on a simpler device? Are you seriously telling me you need Android to send encrypted blobs over the internet?
- golergka 4y ago
  I'm referencing an infamous HN comment on Dropbox.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]