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Signal Introduces Stories

signal.org

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Re: Signal Introduces Stories

#151

Post by barbazoo »

thebetatester wrote: post #93
barbazoo wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get this at all. If all you're using Signal for is SMS, why not just switch to a good SMS app?

Why use multiple apps to text people? I don't us FB messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, or any of that. I use Signal. Signal lets me send a message to ANYONE else with a phone number protocol agnostic. That's very useful, especially when I'm talking to committed iMessage users.

I get you but it feels like a weird hill to die on. Questionable why SMS support was added to Signal in the first place but removing it makes sense in the context of where they want to take Signal (e.g. usernames).

Re: Signal Introduces Stories

#152

Post by robszumski »

dont__panic wrote: post #107
tao_oat wrote: post #95

My gut reaction to this was disappointment that Signal is working on yet another not-messaging feature a la their crypto integration... But the longer I think about it, the more positive I feel. I actually enjoyed using stories on other social media platforms before I left them. The idea of something similar, but end-to-end encrypted, is actually exciting!

I wish they would improve the app UI instead of focusing on features like this. Compared to other apps I use regularly, Signal feels kind of clunky -- the share dialog takes forever to load from another app compared to Telegram or Messages. The app feels like it's harassing me every single day to update. On open, the app often takes a few seconds of loading in my chats. Makes me wonder what core userbase Signal think…

+1 on the update harassment. Are these critical security bugs or random updates!? You never know.

Re: Signal Introduces Stories

#153

Post by mcjiggerlog »

jvdvegt wrote: post #31
yamtaddle wrote: post #19

Am I in a bubble and these features are, in fact, widely used on WhatsApp? I'm in groups with a whole lot of other people including a few who keep up with modern social media stuff, use TikTok, use Instagram, et c., and zero of them use the Status feature or Stories or anything but messaging. For us it's just ICQ/text with better media embedding (but still really bad, somehow). Some of us regularly use similar featur…

I'm using WhatsApp everyday, but have never encountered anybody using stories (I can't even find it in WhatsApp on Android, is it the camera-ocon in the top-left?)

It's the "status" tab.

Re: Signal Introduces Stories

#154

Post by autoexec »

bentley wrote: post #146
autoexec wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In which case it would also be incomplete not to mention that that same data is stored insecurely and protected by an easy to brute force PIN. ( see https://community.signalusers.org/t/proper-secure-value-secu... )

Yes, “though contacts are encrypted, users are not prevented from using a weak PIN” would have been a better way to word this criticism from the start, rather than implying that they are stored completely unencrypted.

“though contacts are encrypted, users are not prevented from using a weak PIN” ignores that Signal encouraged users to set a weak pin (for many people the word "PIN" means a 4 digit number) and that the data is stored using SGX which has already proved to be vulnerable. In my view the fact that they have been lying in their privacy policy is a much bigger problem for a company we're supposed to trust.

Re: Signal Introduces Stories

#155

Post by agundy »

bogota wrote: post #104
tao_oat wrote: post #95

My gut reaction to this was disappointment that Signal is working on yet another not-messaging feature a la their crypto integration... But the longer I think about it, the more positive I feel. I actually enjoyed using stories on other social media platforms before I left them. The idea of something similar, but end-to-end encrypted, is actually exciting!

The more useful signal becomes to the non tech crowd the better for everyone. Options are good and they are largely competing with WhatsApp although they have tiny market penetration right now

They recently announced they are removing Sms support on Android which feels vastly more useful for the non-tech crowd.

Re: Signal Introduces Stories

#156

Post by pavon »

mikece wrote: post #2

I don't like this: it seems like Signal wants to morph into a social network rather than a secure messaging platform. I predict the next major features will be unencrypted public groups and API messaging access like Telegram has.

I don't see how Signal adding features that shift communications from insecure venues to private encrypted channels would lead you to think they are abandoning privacy.

Re: Signal Introduces Stories

#157

Post by smbullet »

abdullahkhalids wrote: post #130
n8ta wrote: post #65

Removed SMS support and then added stories. Worried about signal's recent direction. Being able to interact with my remaining non-signal contacts was huge. Really going to miss it. In contrast they are now adding a feature I do not care about at all.

This removed-sms-without-reason is going to be a myth that persists for a while > RCS is coming, and it doesn’t play well with Signal.... and Signal can’t add RCS support because there’s no RCS API on Android. Honestly, the days of any third-party SMS app are numbered. https://community.signalusers.org/t/signal-blog-removing-sms...

That reason might be a nice scapegoat that they invented after criticism because it's mentioned nowhere in their official announcement.

>There are three big reasons why we’re removing SMS support for the Android app now: prioritizing security and privacy, ensuring people aren’t hit with unexpected messaging bills, and creating a clear and intelligible user experience for anyone sending messages on Signal.

https://signal.org/blog/sms-removal-android/

So I think this "myth" will probably persist for a while.

Re: Signal Introduces Stories

#158

Post by godelski »

hadlock wrote: post #55
skyyler wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you rather live in a world where Signal is laser focused on secure messaging to the point where no one uses it? Telegram is growing rapidly because it's adopting social media paradigms. I use both, and I wish I only used Signal.

About once a week I get a notification that random person X I haven't talked to in a decade is now on signal. About two months ago the super at my old apartment building got on signal and I got a notification. My late coworker's phone number finally got recycled and the new person using it is on signal too. They appear to be reaching critical mass. Still really mad about them dropping SMS support. I'll be deleting it…

> About once a week I get a notification that random person X I haven't talked to in a decade is now on signal.

Settings > Notifications > Notify when... > turn off "Contact joins Signal"

Re: Signal Introduces Stories

#160

Post by sofixa »

barbazoo wrote: post #64
Dylan16807 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Making people juggle a different app for SMS is the opposite of being mainstream friendly.

Do Telegram, Whatsapp, FB Messenger, etc support SMS?

No, because SMS is obsolete and nobody outside of the US(why?!??!) still uses it for anything else other than the occasional confirmation/MFA code.
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