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Signal is experiencing technical difficulties

status.signal.org

181–190 of 262 posts

Re: Signal is experiencing technical difficulties

#181

Session. https://getsession.org/ I doesn’t need phone numbers

I went down the rabbit hole of trying to work out what this is. In involves new coins and ICOs. I'll stick with Matrix and Signal.

"Session is enabled by services provided through the Loki blockchain network. The Loki cryptocurrency is a fundamental part of these services, providing an anonymous way to transfer value between people. A lightweight wallet integrated into the Session app, using keys derived from the users existing keypair, could allow users to quickly and privately transfer value inside Session."

Re: Signal is experiencing technical difficulties

#182
post #176
post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> others might literally have their life depended on the service working If your life literally depends on a service, make sure to pay for that service. Also, make sure to have a backup.

So what is the paid alternative encrypted messaging platform that has any uptime sla?

How about Element Matrix Services (EMS) ? Their Gold and Platinum plans have SLAs

Re: Signal is experiencing technical difficulties

#183

Fwiw I've been using Signal as my primary communications channel along with email for the past few years. There's an outage once a year or so, but I can live with that. It just works--for voice calls, video calls, chat, groups, etc. The real question here isn't about which system is technologically superior (though HN gravitates to that question), it's which one is technologically superior taking into account network…

I'm seeing usage fall off among my network, because it doesn't replace WhatsApp:

* it can't save photos to the camera roll

* notifications are hit and miss

Re: Signal is experiencing technical difficulties

#184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Casual Messaging? Family? Facebook Messenger, Hangouts, Google Chat, and above all SMS / iMessage. Whatsapp by all accounts is the most popular (as much as I personally detest it). I know I know, not HN-fare exactly, but they're easy, popular, and work. That's all that most of our's social network actually cares about. There's a lot of discussion in this thread about detailed encryption/security policy, but while I a…

> Facebook Messenger, Hangouts, Google Chat, and above all SMS / iMessage. Whatsapp by all accounts is the most popular (as much as I personally detest it). Given you’re calling out WhatsApp specifically as a service you detest I’m going to assume you rank it last of all these options. Why is this? WhatsApp is E2EE, has a simple UI (at least IMO) and doesn’t store messages centrally. If I claimed to be a privacy nut…

Usability; and I hope I indicated clearly that it was a personal detestation over an objective claim :)

for what little it's worth: Facebook Messenger, Hangouts, Google Chat, let alone messengers of yore like ICQ, MSN, AIM, etc all allow me to create a userID & password on computer and use them from any device of my choosing, as well as change/transfer/obsolete devices seamlessly.

Whatsapp is bound to my phone number and device, and its experience with multi-device is.... actively hostile. My preference is to not type messages on a 1.5" keyboard, but rather on any number of ergonomic keyboards and devices I use around the house and work. Whatsapp is simply prohibitive for my usage, and for positively no actual (as opposed to theoretical/principled) benefit whatsoever. I've pulled what little hair I have trying to use it, but the 27th time it locked my account for using too many devices (Oh noes! I have a phone, tablet AND a laptop? Crazy me:), I gave up.

(privacy wise, also, my phone number is one of the more private and static pieces of identifying information I own; I guard it carefully and I have no idea why I need to expose it to everybody I want to communicate with, as opposed to anonymous and disposable userID or even email).

I did not mean to turn this into anti-whatsapp rant though; Many other E2EE-focus services are similar. Whatsapp just happens to be wildly popular and, for my use-case, completely and actively impractical :-/

Re: Signal is experiencing technical difficulties

#185
post #183

Fwiw I've been using Signal as my primary communications channel along with email for the past few years. There's an outage once a year or so, but I can live with that. It just works--for voice calls, video calls, chat, groups, etc. The real question here isn't about which system is technologically superior (though HN gravitates to that question), it's which one is technologically superior taking into account network…

I'm seeing usage fall off among my network, because it doesn't replace WhatsApp: * it can't save photos to the camera roll * notifications are hit and miss

I'm guessing your an iPhone user.

It's not an excuse, but I've seen other people on iOS have similar problems.

Both of these issues do not exist on Android versions of Signal.

Re: Signal is experiencing technical difficulties

#186
post #183

Fwiw I've been using Signal as my primary communications channel along with email for the past few years. There's an outage once a year or so, but I can live with that. It just works--for voice calls, video calls, chat, groups, etc. The real question here isn't about which system is technologically superior (though HN gravitates to that question), it's which one is technologically superior taking into account network…

I'm seeing usage fall off among my network, because it doesn't replace WhatsApp: * it can't save photos to the camera roll * notifications are hit and miss

I have 47 people I've personally transitioned to the app, and haven't had notification issues — check OS settings, use better phone.

Saving pictures also works fine.

Re: Signal is experiencing technical difficulties

#187
post #183

Fwiw I've been using Signal as my primary communications channel along with email for the past few years. There's an outage once a year or so, but I can live with that. It just works--for voice calls, video calls, chat, groups, etc. The real question here isn't about which system is technologically superior (though HN gravitates to that question), it's which one is technologically superior taking into account network…

I'm seeing usage fall off among my network, because it doesn't replace WhatsApp: * it can't save photos to the camera roll * notifications are hit and miss

>* notifications are hit and miss

Blame your Android distribution https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/issues/5085#issu...

Re: Signal is experiencing technical difficulties

#188

Fwiw I've been using Signal as my primary communications channel along with email for the past few years. There's an outage once a year or so, but I can live with that. It just works--for voice calls, video calls, chat, groups, etc. The real question here isn't about which system is technologically superior (though HN gravitates to that question), it's which one is technologically superior taking into account network…

I have used Signal for many years as well, I am now trying to move away from it because while the security is nice, it lacks a good backup/restore mechanism. All the critical data I recieved or sent on it is encrypted and even with the same number and pin it can't "merge" or import specific backups! The thick log that broke the camel's back for me was having to keep an android phone specifically for Signal usage because you can't import android backups on iPhones. Somehow they have resources to create a cryptocoin and other features I have no use for but basic reliability needs, at least for me is not met by this app.

I would like to say to each his own but the nature of communication apps makes them useless if others don't also use it. The typical response I get for this is some form of whataboutism. I will just use whatever else I find for now until they figure out a way to monetize it and care about user needs (such as not mandating phone numbers and being able to register the same number on multiple devices so I can use it on iPhone for example without stopping android usage) or some other app like threema will gain popularity like Signal.

Re: Signal is experiencing technical difficulties

#189
post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So what is the paid alternative encrypted messaging platform that has any uptime sla?

How about Element Matrix Services (EMS) ? Their Gold and Platinum plans have SLAs

Gold is an SLA of one business day which basically makes it a non-starter. Platinum - maybe? But I'm guessing based on how they have it phrased that your commit will measure in the thousands of dollars a month minimum if they'd even entertain you as a private individual. In their own words:

>For governments, federated organisations & regulated industries

Re: Signal is experiencing technical difficulties

#190

Fwiw I've been using Signal as my primary communications channel along with email for the past few years. There's an outage once a year or so, but I can live with that. It just works--for voice calls, video calls, chat, groups, etc. The real question here isn't about which system is technologically superior (though HN gravitates to that question), it's which one is technologically superior taking into account network…

I had to quit using signal after I found it had dropped a TON of SMS messages headed my way.
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