Ask HN: How do you convince people to use privacy respecting technologies

#1

Post by bogomil » Wed, Oct 22, 2025, 10:52 AM UTC

I just submitted talk proposals for FOSDEM. It goes beyond my usual ramblings on what privacy foss tools we must use and it covers the "how" to convince people to start using them.

If you have encouraged someone to switch to say Signal, or Sessions, or XMPP or some other tool/protocol, please share here.

I need as much success stories as possible.

----- Anonymity is guaranteed if requested, you can use my Sessions messenger session: 0531634331f5b6be12375bf4229412eed3f2f3543cfe119df37e1b72c883143d4a

Re: Ask HN: How do you convince people to use privacy respecting technologies

#2

Post by bogomil » Wed, Oct 22, 2025, 11:24 AM UTC

Since I can't edit, I want to mention that I will give you the credit while presenting (if you wish of course). Thank you!

Re: Ask HN: How do you convince people to use privacy respecting technologies

#3

Post by Bender » Wed, Oct 22, 2025, 11:52 AM UTC

Not so much switch, but rather "fall back to" a self hosted instance of uMurmur, IRC, etc... when Discord is down or if the topic is too sensitive for a shared corporate platform. People will stay were their friends are. Having a fall-back solution that gives them more privacy or a way to remain in contact when their primary means are down can be useful at times.

How vigilant people are about privacy will vary greatly by generation and by group interests.

Re: Ask HN: How do you convince people to use privacy respecting technologies

#4

Post by bogomil » Wed, Oct 22, 2025, 11:58 AM UTC

Bender wrote: post #3

Not so much switch, but rather "fall back to" a self hosted instance of uMurmur, IRC, etc... when Discord is down or if the topic is too sensitive for a shared corporate platform. People will stay were their friends are. Having a fall-back solution that gives them more privacy or a way to remain in contact when their primary means are down can be useful at times. How vigilant people are about privacy will vary greatl…

So in this case the trigger is the system is down and we need to understand how do we keep doing what we do as a group. But then when the main system is back, how do we keep them into the new one?

Re: Ask HN: How do you convince people to use privacy respecting technologies

#5

Post by Bender » Wed, Oct 22, 2025, 12:31 PM UTC

bogomil wrote: post #4

Bender wrote: post #3

Not so much switch, but rather "fall back to" a self hosted instance of uMurmur, IRC, etc... when Discord is down or if the topic is too sensitive for a shared corporate platform. People will stay were their friends are. Having a fall-back solution that gives them more privacy or a way to remain in contact when their primary means are down can be useful at times. How vigilant people are about privacy will vary greatl…

So in this case the trigger is the system is down and we need to understand how do we keep doing what we do as a group. But then when the main system is back, how do we keep them into the new one?

how do we keep them into the new one?

This goes back to the variation by generation and group interests. People that already feel oppressed by the main platform may likely stay on the one you provided them, otherwise most will go back to whatever they and their friends liked about their main platform. Unless these people are your employees it is unlikely you would be deciding where they go. Even in that case employees will do what they can do.

Ask these people what they like about the platform they are on and decide if you can replicate or enhance that experience. If you can, show them and they will decide if what you created is something they would prefer.

Re: Ask HN: How do you convince people to use privacy respecting technologies

#6

Post by firefax » Wed, Oct 22, 2025, 5:31 PM UTC

Do you have a Signal username? I hate dealing with PGP.

(That's how I've gotten a lot of folks on Signal: "It's like PGP, but usable." The phone number thing was a hangup for a while but with the usernames feature, that's gone.)

Re: Ask HN: How do you convince people to use privacy respecting technologies

#7

Post by atmosx » Wed, Oct 22, 2025, 7:53 PM UTC

Is XMPP considered secure? I use it daily because it's the PM protocol that doesn't require a mobile phone and works with CLI clients.. I use profanity :-P

Re: Ask HN: How do you convince people to use privacy respecting technologies

#8

Post by al_borland » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 3:35 AM UTC

I think the key is to just make the best service. For the masses, privacy and security aren’t selling points. Make the core product great, and then it happens to also be privacy respecting FOSS.

Of all the FOSS software that has made inroads with the masses, none of it has been due to it being FOSS or the privacy. People don’t use VLC because it’s FOSS, they use it because a video file didn’t play in the player they had, and VLC played it without and fuss.

Solve problems users have. They don’t see not being FOSS as a problems. So yes, make FOSS, but don’t expect that to be your headline feature. Like it or not, very few people actually care.

Re: Ask HN: How do you convince people to use privacy respecting technologies

#9

Post by jakabia » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 6:05 AM UTC

I'm not sure how private and secure Telegram is, but I convinced many people to switch. The main reason behind every switch was not the better privacy, but the greater product: features, that the mainstream alternative did not have.

Re: Ask HN: How do you convince people to use privacy respecting technologies

#10

Post by bogomil » Thu, Oct 23, 2025, 7:13 AM UTC

jakabia wrote: post #9

I'm not sure how private and secure Telegram is, but I convinced many people to switch. The main reason behind every switch was not the better privacy, but the greater product: features, that the mainstream alternative did not have.

That's a good point. Thanks for sharing. I would not comment on the Telegram's privacy at this moment.