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Show HN: Anonymous messaging with a 1km radius

zonemessenger.com

21–30 of 156 posts

Re: Show HN: Anonymous messaging with a 1km radius

#21
post #8

How does this work? Broadcast a really strong WiFi signal?

Usually on similar apps the messages go to their servers (over 3/4G) along with your location info, and then they re-route it back to all the users whose reported location is close to yours. An exception was FireChat, which built a mesh network using the Bluetooh & Wifi-based connectivity API provided by iOS called "Multipeer Connectivity Framework", so you could talk to someone far away as long as there were other u…

Was?

Re: Show HN: Anonymous messaging with a 1km radius

#22
post #4

The about, privacy, and terms links are all dead. Is this an open protocol/api or a closed environment? It looks like a commercially backed app. What is the business model here? Paid access or advertising?

The "privacy" ( http://www.zonemessenger.com/privacy ) and "terms" ( http://www.zonemessenger.com/terms ) should give you two static pdf's. On my side it's only the "about" link that is dead (will be my personal website). If "privacy"/"terms" really don't work on your side let me know! As of now there is no commercial backing what so ever. It's mealy a side-project that finally got finished. And for now there is also…

Ah okay, the privacy and terms links do seem to download something, but you might want to give the files the .pdf file extension.

Re: Show HN: Anonymous messaging with a 1km radius

#24
post #8

How does this work? Broadcast a really strong WiFi signal?

You could just grab user location and populate it in a db. Use a proximity search to see which users you see and see you.

You could also break things down by geofence, but that would work better for a city chat since there would need to be overlapping fences otherwise you could be next to someone and not see their messages.

There are other ways to do it, but if you are going to use Internet connectivity, that's the simplest I believe.

Re: Show HN: Anonymous messaging with a 1km radius

#28

I would be careful about this. Could definitely be used for bullying by kids - would suggest you come up with a strong mechanism/policy for banning users!

You could say the same for a lamppost (that I can attach a photo with a message to) and just about every other means of communication where the sender is not known (regular mail, for instance).

Technology can be used for good and for bad, this tech is no different in that respect.

Re: Show HN: Anonymous messaging with a 1km radius

#30
post #23
post #11

Please update that 2015 Copyright

Why everyone is still adding such copyright notice if it's optional after 1989 and gives no additional protection?

Because not everybody knows even if they should. Because it makes things easier for others. Because it facilitates contacting you for licensing deals and you want this money. Because it makes infringements easier to prove since you haven't officially registered your copyright. Because you want to sign your work.
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