See? Mostly nerdy stuff. Like these complaints are weird to put side by side with how we'd critique all the big companies. Its not that we shouldn't critique them (we should) it is that it's weird when we are discussing big tech and act like companies like Signal, Mozilla, ffmpeg, or whatever aren't good models to look up to because they aren't perfect. Because right now the alternative is the status quo.
I mean the critiques are mostly valid but wanted to point out they're mostly technical.
I really wish the server was fully open. I feel like that could actually create a mixed federated ecosystem. At worst be optional, right? I can get where he's coming from (and now Meredith), but I think there's a lot of value in it and they've solved hard problems before. Even just the ideas of mesh nets in local areas could be a real win for privacy and security.
Being a Linux user and signal user for quite some time I'm confused at that critique. What's hostile? That it's electron? I mean that does suck but I've used various open source desktop versions and some TUIs. No real issues so far. What am I missing?
Generally the talk I hear about government money is implications of back doors. Just seems like they are more interested in getting encrypted communications into other people in other countries hands. At least that's my understanding of the mission of the organization that's funding them. They'd want that as secure as possible. Government isn't a single entity. If the complaint is morally taking money from the government, yeah it was a weird move. Kinda seems out of character. But not too crazy. Personally I'm okay if they aren't building weapons and there's no strings attached. My understanding is it's not enough money to justify that.
They're not really technical. If you say you do reproducible builds and you don't it's just… dishonesty?
Like selling you no chemical fertilisers vegetables and then using them anyway.
It's hostile because they want you to use their binary build… which you don't know if it corresponds to the source they have online. And can't verify due to the binary blob.
edit: you trust the USA army to not ask any control in exchange for that money? Remember there's no reproducible builds really, and that installing via app store which is linked to an account is very easy to send vulnerable versions to journalists or whistleblowers.
I don't know how you say "not technical" and "reproducible builds" in the same breath.
Look, I'm mostly with you. My point is that the issues we argue over are only things us nerds care about. Not the average person.
> you trust the USA army to not ask any control in exchange for that money?
Warrants suspicion, for sure. I stated so.
From what I know, the money was not through the military. It was through Radio Free Asia, an organization suspected to have ties to the CIA. Notably, the CIA is concerned with foreign targets, not at home. So like I argued, it is entirely reasonable for "the government" to want perfectly encrypted communication systems in the hands of people they want overthrowing a current regime while also not wanting that service to be used at home.
The government isn't a single super intelligent entity working together. It is a fucking shit show of organizations (and sub-organizations) with entirely opposing goals.
They're a non-profit... their books are open. If you are really concerned, switch to Molly. Or idk, use iMessage, WhatsApp, or Telegram. Because those have far less suspicion, right? Sure, you could use Matrix, but I can't get my grandma to use Matrix, but I can Signal. I'll take what I can get.
I mean the critiques are mostly valid but wanted to point out they're mostly technical.
I really wish the server was fully open. I feel like that could actually create a mixed federated ecosystem. At worst be optional, right? I can get where he's coming from (and now Meredith), but I think there's a lot of value in it and they've solved hard problems before. Even just the ideas of mesh nets in local areas could be a real win for privacy and security.
Being a Linux user and signal user for quite some time I'm confused at that critique. What's hostile? That it's electron? I mean that does suck but I've used various open source desktop versions and some TUIs. No real issues so far. What am I missing?
Generally the talk I hear about government money is implications of back doors. Just seems like they are more interested in getting encrypted communications into other people in other countries hands. At least that's my understanding of the mission of the organization that's funding them. They'd want that as secure as possible. Government isn't a single entity. If the complaint is morally taking money from the government, yeah it was a weird move. Kinda seems out of character. But not too crazy. Personally I'm okay if they aren't building weapons and there's no strings attached. My understanding is it's not enough money to justify that.