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I wish they would drop the support of phone number registration. As stated in the article, not everyone has access to a phone number and not everyone can mainta
by itake 4y ago
I wish they would drop the support of phone number registration. As stated in the article, not everyone has access to a phone number and not everyone can maintain the same phone number.
I miss the old internet where you only needed a username and a password.
- Kwpolska 4y agoSignal allows changing phone numbers: https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007062012-Change-Number https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007062012-Ch... > As stated in the article, not everyone has access to a phone number and not everyone can maintain the same phone number. The article does not say that. I would argue that having a phone number is a very basic thing, and if you don’t have it, you are unlikely to have access to the Internet either. Phone numbers are a nice way to ensure you’re a human.
- rnk 4y agoThere are people in the world who don't have a phone. amazing eh
- Kwpolska 4y agoAnd yet they have a computer?
- itake 4y agoYes. In the USA, people use the free library computers. In foreign countries, people rent computers in cyber cafes.
- petodo 4y agokids at home could have tablet without SIM and use signal to communicate with parents away from home
- sliken 4y agoIt's pretty common to buy/beg/borrow an old cell phone and just use it over wifi. Especially kids or anyone who is tight on money. Food/water/shelter ranks much higher than cell service and monthly server + Data plan (required for signal) isn't cheap.
- pwinnski 4y agoSo Signal isn't for everyone, because it's not for people in China who disagree with the Chinese government. Requiring a phone number means it's not for everyone, period.
- itake 4y agoThe article you linked requires them to have access to the old phone. There was a post a few weeks ago about how homeless people struggle to retain their phones, going through a new phone every week [0]. Personally, when I travel, I don’t always have my US phone number available. If my phone is stolen while I’m abroad, I can’t get a new phone or recover my phone number until I return, which could be months later. Signal is not for everyone and them claiming it is makes me trust them less. [0] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33120534 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33120534
- ex3ndr 4y agoTelegram solved this problem, they just sold a fake numbers on blockchain where you can get a number without leaving a trace and stay completely anonymous while keeping number-based model. Plus, additional monetization.
- yunwal 4y agoIn what way is selling on blockchain “without leaving a trace”? The whole point of blockchain is that trace is publicly viewable
- DrewADesign 4y agoIt doesn't leave a trace if you don't look for it!
- red_trumpet 4y agoLast time I tried using Telegram it required a phone and a number. Has anything changed since then? Edit: Just tried it again, and I cannot register on Linux without a phone number. Here is a screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/WcnHBx1.png https://i.imgur.com/WcnHBx1.png
- MayeulC 4y agoPretty recently (one year or so), they started their blockcain numbers. You can get a random one for free, or a "vanity" one if you buy it... I guess they are mined somehow? They all start with 888. I wish signal did something similar. Edit: find the numbers here: https://fragment.com/numbers https://fragment.com/numbers It's probably affiliated with Telegram, I'm not sure.
- thr717272 4y ago> and I cannot register on Linux without a phone number. Yep, but it doesn't have to be a real, publicly routable one. You can get one from Telegram without having to provide government provided ID like I have to for real phone numbers. See sibling comment.