Gregory's ServerFriendly reminder: if you need to plan something with many people, then don't do it on public social media.
Use Signal. Use ToR.
 38 comments
 @RyuKurisu @session Session is good too! I like that they don't require a phone number. @thegibson @RyuKurisu @session hadn't heard of session yet, I wish getting people on xmpp was easier. Its getting better, there's a nice invite based flow now with prosody. But it is always easier to convince a friend to use signal than install an app they might have to pay for (conversations) or install another app store to get the free version. And AFAIK iOS experience still isn't as good as android re: persistent connections and push notifs  @ParadeGrotesque @thegibson I'm trying Silence for now. Suggestions welcomed.   @Warlock @ParadeGrotesque @pricklyheart @thegibson Signal, Session, Silence... @Warlock @pricklyheart @TheGibson From their FAQ: "Sessionβs onion routing system, known as onion requests, uses Oxenβs network of Oxen Service Nodes, which also power the $OXEN cryptocurrency. Check out Oxen.io to find more information on the tech behind Sessionβs onion routing." So, this is built in Australia (which is very hostile to encryption), and it seems very very close to some shady crypto thingie. Thanks but no thanks. Last audit was in 2018, by QuarksLab (which is a pretty good company) and it did find some major vulnerabilities in all applications (iOS, Android & Desktop). Not exactly encouraging, even though they are pretty upfront about it, which is commedable.  @Warlock @thegibson @pricklyheart @ParadeGrotesque
I use Session. Had good experiences so far. Jami is another great P2P messaging app. :session: :jami:  @esoteric @thegibson For me, #signal messages arrive almost at once. If you're seeing delays, it may mean that #Android is putting Signal to sleep. Try going into Android settings and disabling battery optimisation for Signal. Also make sure you're using the latest version of the app: a few months ago, I saw the problem you describe, but it was fixed by an update. @markusl @thegibson Ok. I will look into it. But Telegram's UI + Signal's privacy and encryption would make an unparalled app. @esoteric @thegibson I've never struggled with the #signal UI, but we all have different preferences, and there's nothing wrong with that. π @thegibson And don't trust the 'Direct Message' options on those public platforms either: the company also keeps those for the asking.  @thegibson tbh, Iβm leaning towards the βuse carrier pigeons for anything importantβ camp @hacktivists Going for the easiest entry point... this will be a widely needed thing... Matrix is not easy for the non-techies. @thegibson Don't personally recommend signal, because it needs your phone number... Element or Briar is the way to go! @horns @TheGibson Because it would be nice to have a standard for messaging. #XMPP is extensible exactly because we don't want to reinvent the whole messaging thing every few years and create incompatibilities and fragmentation. For example it's not possible to send end-to-end encrypted messages or make A/V calls to #Matrix users. @horns @TheGibson This is definitely true for walled garden apps like WhatsApp or Signal where a single provider controls everything. Maybe it's also true for Matrix since the (venture capital funded) startup behind Matrix basically controls the thing (the protocol itself, the only production-ready server implementation, the matrix.org instance, ...). For internet standards like HTTP, XMPP, SMTP, ... this is less true and more like saying we need inches in case the centimeter turns evil.  @jkb @thegibson telegram has had itsβ integrity questioned multiple times recently. Signal admitted all they have is Unix timestamps of when the account was created and the last use, nothing more. @jkb @TheGibson Yes, Telegram has no encryption. (Only encryption to their own server.) @thegibson |
@thegibson yea, especially if it's like a surprise birthday party or something!
Last thing you want to do is spoil surprise, that's no fun for anyone!
You should also remember to pay cash if you are buying gifts, too! Last thing you need is someone in your home seeing the credit card bill and finding out what you bought them.
Also, remember to wear a mask! There's still a pandemic happening; and even if there wasn't, nobody wants to catch a case; of the flu or even a less serious cold that could stick around way longer than you want.
@thegibson yea, especially if it's like a surprise birthday party or something!
Last thing you want to do is spoil surprise, that's no fun for anyone!
You should also remember to pay cash if you are buying gifts, too! Last thing you need is someone in your home seeing the credit card bill and finding out what you bought them.