I had been using WhatsApp for a long time, but I was bothered by its proprietary nature (except for Signal's open source encryption it uses). Plus, I got boned recently when my phone broke down during a trip and was left basically incommunicated with a bunch of people that used WA exclusively (because WhatsApp Web depends on your phone to be online to work)
So I've been using Telegram recently, which does allow me to keep messaging people even if my phone isn't available for whatever reason. I like that it's open source but it bothers me that they use their own custom encryption algorithm instead of peer-reviewed options.
I'd use Signal all the time if it were up to me, but: >Noone uses it in my social circles and noone will switch for an app whose sole focus is security >The desktop client on linux is still quite buggy
So, thoughts? And does anyone know of a better alternative to Telegram that makes it so that I can use the service with or without access to my phone once I link the device?
I'm a hardware guy so I know fuck all about how apps work but signal and telegram are all I use. Why would it matter if your friends didn't use signal? It can still text their phones regardless, after all.
Angel Evans
Riot, Signal, trying to drop Hangouts.
Oliver Howard
I've heard Riot and Matrix are good
Christian Lee
>(except for Signal's open source encryption it uses).
It allegedly* uses.
There is no way to prove the implementation wasn't tampered with, since it is proprietary and we can't reverse-engineer the server side.
Signal licking WhatsApp's balls nonstop for the move also took out all reasons to trust them. They are now proceeding to lick Skype's balls too.
Aaron Brooks
>took out all reasons to trust them I mean...Signal's code itself is 100% free and open source. You can look at it on github. It's actually very very pretty and well documented
Although I grant your point that we can't know for certain if WA or Skype will use the algorithm untouched
Luis Barnes
Anyone used Line? Is it any good?
Alexander Turner
Whatever I need to get in contact with people. Listing what I have open right now in some form:
Email Whatsapp Telegram FB messenger Imessage Google Hangouts Slack (one person refuses to use anything else) Discord Clans get communicated with on the message board in the clan forums Twitter I had to make an instagram account the other day just to talk to one specific person, so now that too I guess Snapchat KiK
I think that about covers it.
If I had a choice I'd get everyone on telegram, it seems to be the most convenient and feature-full right now.
Jaxson Thompson
The only worry I have with Telegram like I said is that their encryption algorithm isn't actually well peer-reviewed
EFF gave it a pretty bad score because of that and other things in privacy/security
Wyatt Turner
why post:
Email - b/c obv. Whatsapp - b/c some people are on it. I don't like it, but that's where my friends are. Telegram - b/c other friends are on it FB messenger - b/c random people keep messaging me on it and I occaisionally need it to talk to one specific person Imessage - it's an extension of the texts on my phone, and works well fro group texts with the family. Google Hangouts - lightweight video calls that function on chromeos, what's not to like? The IM also works well, and people are on it Slack - (one person refuses to use anything else) also for communicating with various organizations that decided they wanted to be young and hip and have IM. Discord - for some faggots I talk to Clans get communicated with on the message board in the clan forums, because that's how we communicate. Or through the fb group. Twitter - because it's common I had to make an instagram account the other day just to talk to one specific person, so now that too I guess Snapchat - for like *one* girl who has nothing else KiK - enough people use it to justify it.
Jackson Morgan
I'm not talking about things I'm worried about being snooped on not in person.
If I really cared about security I'd use some sort of encrypted IRC.
Idc if people find out what my friends and I joke about
Gabriel James
What is KiK's appeal? I've only ever seen americans using it
Luke Phillips
Neither am I, but it's the principle of it that triggers my autism. I'd rather we always communicated securely and having it be the norm rather than something you have to go out of your way to do
Carson Miller
It's like whatsapp. It's just free IM.
In fact, in some cases it's better than WA, because you make an account for it instead of tying it to a phone #, so you can spoof or catfish or whatever.
Otherwise, it's a pretty solid messaging platform with a decent userbase.
Charles Reyes
>listing catfishing as a plus What sorts of things are you up to user
Jacob Walker
I used it for years to talk to a weeb friend, but he recently moved to Whatsapp. I like it more than Whatsapp just because I can use it without needing my phone unlike Whatsapp Web. There's no native LINE client, but Wine is capable of running it on GNU/Linux.
Wire is another cool option that works without a phone and they recently open sourced the clients and server. Nobody that I know uses it, sadly.
I also have XMPP but it's really dead outside nerd communities and Russia.
The IM situation is really sad.
Chase Perry
Fuckin' A, and it will come with time. Telegram at least tries to do it, and WA at least tries to do it. That's better than what we had before.
As companies evolve, it will come as standard. I think it will slowly become more common as time goes on. Just keep spreading the word of free and open software and secure living, and it will come.
And look at the un-encrypted messengers. KIK is small af and facebook is dying. only normies and plebs really use insta and twitter seriously.
Leo Moore
fucking with people, mostly. The ability to be anonymous is always a boon. The ability to be someone else is always hilarious.
Lincoln Price
You could theoretically have a phone that whatsapp was tied to that always sat at home, on wifi, and let you use WA web anywhere.
Would this be possible with a google # to avoid paying for another phone plan?
Oliver Carter
>tfw trying to convince normie friends to use Telegram instead of WhatsApp
It's such an awkward struggle I don't want to bother them, but I don't want to keep using this shit app. I always say that it's okay if they don't wanna try it, I'll just be on WA as well. But it's a lie, I don't wanna be on WA anymore and only do it because I have to
Colton Perez
show them sticker packs.
I think normies like things like that.
Noah Turner
Wire. It's simple and not a botnet. >I like that it's open source Closed source servers and a meme encryption. Wire is just better if you need a simple instant messenger. I also use Riot.im which is pretty much a replacement for Discord and an IM.
Brody Kelly
what are some cool features Telegram has that aren't available elsewhere? i feel like i'm using it wrong by using it for only very simple functionality instead of taking advantage of it more
Michael Roberts
It has a ton of useful bots that you can take advantage of, I particularly like votebot in groups. You can make your own fairly easily.
Also sticker packs, but actually done well. There are a ton of #dank ones, and you can make your own which is pretty fun.
Also all of my friends and I have a chat set up with just ourselves in order to send ourselves documents, and use it as free temp. storage or a way to transfer files btwn mobile and desktop.
Matthew Cooper
> what are some cool features Telegram has that aren't available elsewhere? universal stickers, an open library for building your own telegram app, ability to save any message for yourself, server to client encryption, e2e for private chats
Carson Clark
How does Telegram make money? I have a hard time believing it's some sort of good-will feel good vibe. Are they selling your data like Discord or what?
Robert Miller
>free and open source
If it's Free Software, it's already implied that the source is available.
Signal development stalled and they actively propose Whatsapp as an alternative now. Even if the code can be trusted at the moment, it is bound to rot by their hand.
Brandon Thompson
> How does Telegram make money? recently telegram introduced payed bots, so when you pay for them telegram gets some of the cut
Gavin Hughes
Source? I haven't seen any statements of this sort. And basically everyone in the infosec crowd that I've seen is still singing Signal's praises.
Samuel Richardson
> Signal development stalled fuuuuuck. i was hoping they would add android wear support
Hunter Johnson
>Wire also, you can just make an account with an email, and they have something for every platform
Elijah Stewart
Honestly, see their "blog" and twitter feed. There's some praise and defense of WhatsApp every so often.
Levi Harris
This. Fuck anything that needs a SIM card.
Parker Ross
Linux is a kernel. It's used in Android.
Cooper Richardson
It is also the commontongue alias used to refer to GNU/Linux for people who aren't total spergs and actually say "Gahnoo slash leenucks" in casual conversation.
Logan Lopez
If people want to message me, they either install Signal or get the fuck off my lawn.
Kevin Russell
Now imagine a stupid question like > are you using android or linux? Or a stupid question like > are you eating a hamburger or ham?
Aaron Morris
You are a human being capable of context recognition. It's not our fault if you pretend to be retarded and 'not know'' when someone is talking about the Linux kernel or when someone is talking about the GNU/Linux operating system when they say 'linux'.
For instance read the OP post you complained about >The desktop client on linux is still quite buggy It is quite clear from context that he's talking about a desktop client, which implies a client running on a desktop operating system, which implies that when he says 'linux' he means a desktop operating system which uses the Linux kernel, and it's extremely easy to assume that this desktop OS running Linux is GNU/Linux because it's the norm and he didn't specify otherwise
You complete and total sperg.
Jeremiah Nelson
>noone uses it in my social circles Be the change you want to see in the world.
Christopher Perry
Even the dumb politicians in my shithole use Whatsapp. The CIA niggers at the US embassy have it even easier to snoop on them, they just ask the Zucc to activate the backdoor instead of having to filter through all the data the NSA dragnet collects.
Christian Peterson
Which country?
Adrian Green
>New date >H-hey can you please install Signal, I don't like using any other apps for messaging ever >What's that? >O-oh it's this open source privacy oriented peer reviewed... >Um, hey I'm sorry but I gotta go
