What encrypted messengers do you use? #asknostr
Discussion
Telegram but I've been told they have a copy of your keys or something on their server so maybe that doesn't count.
If it doesn't count then I guess I don't use any outside of Nostr DM's.
Only encrypted with SSL by default, and most people don't use e2e channels.
SimpleX, and Nostr DMs.
I also have Telegram, but that's custodial and "show us the warrant" secure, not "GFY" secure. Still better than anything else normie-friendly.
What's your opinion of SimpleX? Seems to be slow for a lot of users. Props to them for allowing tor
nostr:npub1q6ya7kz84rfnw6yjmg5kyttuplwpauv43a9ug3cajztx4g0v48eqhtt3sh put me onto it. Didn't really notice any lag, but asynchronous messaging hides that pretty well, YMMV.
I managed to lose that account by not backing up my keys properly :p
Is it easy to find people using it? I gave up on Session because I couldn't find anyone else to join.
I think you need to know the other person from elsewhere, and get them to share their address with you out-of-band. Like, in person (best), or over another messaging app
I'd say there are 2 types of apps people want. One is for boring IRL contacts. Numerous options.
The other one is for random online weirdos. Telegram is dominating this field now. But Nostr format is better for public conversations.
There are public groups, but most are inactive.
You don't find people on any of this stuff. There is a group directory on the simplex home page, but, it's not meant for things like that. It's secure private messaging, not social messaging.
I found people in groups for social messaging on both Session and SimpleX. I wouldn't call it social, but rather public conversation. The dynamic is always like this: join a group channel, find someone interesting, they message me directly or I do, for non-public topics discussion. Very IRC-esque dynamic.
At this point, I have to admit that Nostr format is better at this, though the side effect is that most people are shy to DM.
I invite people to simplex, I don't really care about the simplex groups. I've used session a bit, but haven't cared to look into it more than that.
Nostr, the social side, is what you make of it.
You can't convince most people to download it just to text you unless they're also software dorks, so it does matter.
Download what? SimpleX or Amethyst? Either one?
Most people IRL ask me if I have Instagram, and I'm like lol no, just send SMS
That's true. I have had to give up group conversations because I refuse to use whatsapp these days. But, other groups are getting it and at least use signal.
I don't even know anyone in these circles that uses Signal. A few use Telegram but that's about it for alt messengers.
I'm pretty OK with using nearly anything and asking people at first to use other means of communication. I just stay off the big tech platforms. (I don't really consider telegram big tech in the same way, so... That might seem odd to some.)
Telegram has gotten pretty big in Europe but in the US it's hard to find normies who use it. It's growing though, Tucker Carlson just gave it a massive promotion. I'll trust the company so I'll be happy if it works out for them though it's not even close to ideal.
If wish people could just use good apps. SimpleX and Session work REALLY well and are better in every way and people just won't use it.
Network effect is a killer. It has to start small with people like us that ask and then pester people to do better.
People quit just as fast as they join, mainstream apps didn't win through the network effect they won through enormous marketing budgets and that's how it's been since Web2.
Hmmm...
The marketing feeds the network effect. Without billions in advertising, I'm not sure that big tech would ever have become what it is now.
What is it now? A sewer of online humans. The ones who can't use any other apps. By big tech, you probably mean mostly Meta, then I agree. I don't see much wrong with Google and Amazon, and even Netflix.
What makes X and Instagram work so well as public boards is that everyone on the planet uses them, so even though it's 90% trash your potential for meeting cool people is basically limitless.
I don't think that will ever be replicated by Nostr or anything else like it.
Messenger apps are different. SimpleX or whatever could easily replace WhatsApp/Discord/Telegram/SMS/whatever else if they had just enough reputation for people to download them, even if it's not totally mainstream.
You don't see much wrong with Google? Weird.
Meta certainly is the worst, but, the rest are nearly as bad.
Humanity is always a gross conglomerate when taken as a whole. Find a pleasant oasis, or, better yet, build one.
I like AOSP and Project Zero. I don't care much about the rest of Google. Had a couple of acquaintances working for them in Mountain View.
Why would I make another clone of twitter or discord? Boring. I'd rather escape into VR or drive all day selling white.
That makes sense.
But... Google is the evil big tech overload OG's younger, better linking brother. (MS is the original evil big tech company, IMO.)
This analogy is breaking my brain. Hard to reason about it cause the hardware changed so much from when MS was relevant.
I like Google as a much lesser evil compared to Apple not MS. I know Google hardware is a joke division in most peoples eyes, but I don't care. AOSP is superior to shit from Canonical or RedHat. Again, can't compare directly, different hardware.
Is modern Microsoft evil? Not at all too. VS code, github, hosting OpenAI.
Telegram is big among American tinfoilers. Cause it doesn't censor. It's also big in Iran.
If you want people to use a different app, hand them a phone with it pre installed.
Session and Simplex are both inferior for public conversation. Inferior to Nostr and Telegram. Tucker using something is hardly an upside, he's a n00b
Hipster bullshit 🤣 Promotion is good, it doesn't matter what you personally think of Tucker.
The main people I see using Telegram from X are teenagers in France/Germany. It's like Discord for them. I haven't tried SimpleX groups but Session's are fine, it's the same as Signal/Telegram, except that no one uses them.
This is a pretty good summary.
It's slow if you're in a large group, though this is getting better. It's slow if your internet connection sucks. This should also improve as the system matures.
That being said, it's been very reliable lately and offers nearly everything that I need in a messaging app.
Session works, too, though I've never run a group through it. There's plenty of others. Try them all. It's better to spread your messaging out across a bunch of different forms, anyway.
How will SimpleX improve in the future? Seems like it's slow because they don't care about scaling.
Session has 2 major flaws. No proxy support, and having to host public groups yourself.
I think as adoption increases and people start adding more nodes/servers that will be one big improvement.
They don't care any scaling the same way other protocols do, that's true, but that's also a good thing since it affords them the chance to do big stuff like integrate their quantum computing resistant encryption tech that's way ahead of anything else.
Session is useful and simpler, so, it's really not bad. And self-hosting is a good thing.
whatsapp 
Technically true, though could be backdoored, then doesn't count.
i use it cuz 99% ppl i know irl use it, i also use the blue bubbles
I haven't had an iPhone for years. I don't like how massive they've become. SE is fine, but it means you're poor.