We should all just get over our prejudices and download BBM which is the closest app to a Skype killer that I've used. Don't knock it until you've tried it.
Wire – Modern Communications Network
111–120 of 411 posts
Re: Wire – Modern Communications Network
#112Why does Skype needs to be 'killed' by ex-Skype people again and how does that benefit consumers exactly?
Re: Wire – Modern Communications Network
#113Skype has kinda been the hot potato company that everyone wanted to buy but, once acquired, no-one could figure out how to actually make money from. Will Wire be any different?
One argument is that is doesn't matter. Messaging is such an attractive market that people just continue to invest in it. Telecos certainly didn't have any problems making money back in their hay-day, and there is the "get all the eyeballs and monetize later" argument that is still popular. Perhaps as consumers we're just doomed to switch platforms every 5-10 yrs as companies rise and then fizzle out. Perhaps churn is the price we pay for free messaging?
FWIW I did pay for Skype for a short while, as I needed some features, but then their billing structure changed and other free products became popular so I stopped.
Re: Wire – Modern Communications Network
#114So in the age of Edward Snowden this is all they say about encryption...
"Are Messages And Calls Encrypted? Yes. Wire uses industry-standard encryption on all of your Wire messages and calls."
"WHAT SECURITY MEASURES DO WE TAKE TO SAFEGUARD YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
We are concerned about safeguarding the confidentiality of your information. We provide physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect information we process and maintain. In addition, we restrict access to personal information to Company employees who need to know this information in order to develop, operate and maintain the Service."
Come on guys...how can anything this vague be trusted?
And by European they mean Swiss, so not specifically EU.
One of the typical evasive phrases...
From the Guardian Article:
"Locating its head office in Switzerland was Wire’s first decision taken on security grounds. “If someone is interested in accessing our user data, there’s a formal and well-regulated process in Switzerland for that. They’re very mindful of privacy, and the same is true in Germany."
Swiss naturally implies safety for many people (which is deceptive...real, verifiable, audited, end to end encryption is safety), for anyone unsure about the reality of "Swiss" cooperation with NSA since the 70s, read about Crypto AG
http://mediafilter.org/caq/cryptogate/
For those wondering about "Swiss privacy laws," if you are a foreign national you are effectively fair game
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onyx_%28interception_system%29
http://www.iclg.co.uk/practice-areas/telecoms-media-and-inte...
Re: Wire – Modern Communications Network
#115The most compelling feature of Skype was end-to-end encryption - that is before Microsoft centralized the service, subjected it to man-in-the-middle attacks, and partnered with the Chinese government to produce a back-doored version Tom-Skype. The app page says "Wire interactions are secure and we comply with European privacy laws and regulations." That's just not enough.
Skype still has end-to-end encryption.
But Skype also has the private keys for every user which renders end-to-end encryption "less useful". Sadly they have always had the keys, from the beginning. Tom skype just made content more accessible to the "interested parties".
Re: Wire – Modern Communications Network
#116More fragmentation, great. I cannot help but think how this time I will again convince my contacts to migrate to yet another messaging app. I should probably ask the contacts on WhatsApp first. Or rather Telegram? I think some people are still on Viber, too. My friends on Kik have just migrated from Whatsapp so I will approach them last.
The app who can actually solve _this_ problem will be the next big thing. And if doesn't work, we have yet another messaging app.
Re: Wire – Modern Communications Network
#117"What we need is another messaging app" said nobody, ever. It looks pretty, but this is yet another app in the long list of "Skype killers" or "Voice/video/text" messaging. It seems like it's the default goto for anyone that can't think of something more interesting these days.
> "What we need is another messaging app" said nobody, ever. The usual negative HN top post. I have to disagree. We've moved from irc, to ICQ, to Microsoft Messenger, to ..., to Skype, to (what's hot now), so somehow all those people really DID want another messaging app and even adopted one. > It looks pretty, but this is yet another app in the long list of "Skype killers" or "Voice/video/text" messaging. Most of th…
I've been in Brazil for the past five weeks. EVERYONE uses whatsapp, because SMS is expensive. And this all happened in the past couple of years or so, because that's when smartphones became widespread.
I have never been asked my phone number. I've only been asked my "whatsapp". Make a good enough messaging app, and you can win an entire country. Or the world.
Re: Wire – Modern Communications Network
#118Re: Wire – Modern Communications Network
#119Anyone who is interested in OTR (off the record) and peer to peer encryption, Wire is not for you.
Please see https://otr.cypherpunks.ca/software.php for suggestions which might be reliable as of today.
Everyone else who feels good about keeping their messages safely stored for later inspection, use Wire or any other chat client that "looks beautiful", "is pure" and blends yt videos nicely into your feed.
EDIT: Do not take my comment as a critique or sarcasm against Wire. There are different audiences for messaging apps and it's important to understand if you are the one before being negative about privacy policy and encryption.