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Signal commit Username Integration Test

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Re: Signal commit Username Integration Test

#31

Post by codedokode »

andy81 wrote: post #14
codedokode wrote: post #10

Signal is finally copying what Telegram has implemented since long ago? Do people in the West simply do not care about hiding their number (judging by WhatsApp and Signal)?

The mobile number requirement was always a feature of signal. The friction is slight for users, but higher for scammers that might go through thousands of accounts. Telegram is too easy to sign up, so it's mostly scams.

I meant that Telegram doesn't display user's phone number and doesn't require sharing a number to add person to contacts. But with WhatsApp and Signal you have to disclose your number in order to talk to someone.

Re: Signal commit Username Integration Test

#32

Post by codedokode »

tech_ken wrote: post #18
codedokode wrote: post #10

Signal is finally copying what Telegram has implemented since long ago? Do people in the West simply do not care about hiding their number (judging by WhatsApp and Signal)?

Never really understood the privacy argument for hiding (or disconnecting) your phone number in a User-User "texting" type application. I suppose if Signal were linking my identity across a bunch of platforms I'd be worried, but their privacy policy is pretty aggressive so I'm not really worried about that. Indeed the additional friction for scammers is a benefit to me. Telegram is a morass of dodgy group chats and s…

With WhatsApp or Signal, if you want to talk to a stranger (e.g. if selling something) you have to share your real number, while in Telegram you can share just a username.

Re: Signal commit Username Integration Test

#33

Post by tech_ken »

ploum wrote: post #29
fragmede wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My friends on Signal do, but I have no idea how widespread it is across their whole userbase. It's not as in-your-face as Instagram, which is actually kind of nice, but like it's being said - signal is social media. you can choose to not use that feature but that's on you. To look at you and your friend group and extrapolate from there is not science, or data driven. the plural of anecdote is not data. It's like sayi…

I disabled that feature as soon as it appeared (the less I use a messaging app, the best it is) and forgot about it. Your comment makes me curious: I do really wonder how this feature is used. Signal announced it was really something users were looking for. I wonder if it was a weak attempt at convincing the Instagram crowd or if it is really popular with some population. In the end, I’m still angry that they removed…

My friend group uses Signal for cross-platform group texting and the stories feature is super popular. Great for putting up non-intrusive pet pics or memes. IDK the rationale for introducing it, but I do think it's a fun feature that makes it feel more like a WhatsApp/social messaging replacement, rather than just something people download to coordinate protests or sell drugs.

Re: Signal commit Username Integration Test

#34

Post by tech_ken »

codedokode wrote: post #32
tech_ken wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never really understood the privacy argument for hiding (or disconnecting) your phone number in a User-User "texting" type application. I suppose if Signal were linking my identity across a bunch of platforms I'd be worried, but their privacy policy is pretty aggressive so I'm not really worried about that. Indeed the additional friction for scammers is a benefit to me. Telegram is a morass of dodgy group chats and s…

With WhatsApp or Signal, if you want to talk to a stranger (e.g. if selling something) you have to share your real number, while in Telegram you can share just a username.

> selling something

Whatcha selling :)

To coordinate my own anonymous commodity transactions I just use gpg to encrypt a .txt which can be delivered in all sorts of anonymous ways. I can't say that I transact anonymously too frequently though, so the additional friction with this method isn't especially onerous.

Re: Signal commit Username Integration Test

#35

Post by codedokode »

Krasnol wrote: post #20
codedokode wrote: post #10

Signal is finally copying what Telegram has implemented since long ago? Do people in the West simply do not care about hiding their number (judging by WhatsApp and Signal)?

Bringing up Telegram in this context makes it quite funny, since Telegram users seem not to care about the safety of the contents of their chats at all in this shady black box. Phone numbers are a quite ridiculously small problem compared to that.

No. If you join a public chat in Telegram you don't have to share your phone number with other members so you don't have to be afraid that they will find you in real life. You can write anything you want. But with WhatsApp or Signal you have to share a phone number with everyone which means they can easily find who you are and where you live (this data is cheaply sold on black market).

Re: Signal commit Username Integration Test

#37

Post by msh »

codedokode wrote: post #10

Signal is finally copying what Telegram has implemented since long ago? Do people in the West simply do not care about hiding their number (judging by WhatsApp and Signal)?

It’s a feature. You get an instant social graph by being able to piggyback on people’s contacts.

Also the original purpose of signal was secure sms, so using phone numbers make perfect sense.

Re: Signal commit Username Integration Test

#38

Post by codedokode »

msh wrote: post #37
codedokode wrote: post #10

Signal is finally copying what Telegram has implemented since long ago? Do people in the West simply do not care about hiding their number (judging by WhatsApp and Signal)?

It’s a feature. You get an instant social graph by being able to piggyback on people’s contacts. Also the original purpose of signal was secure sms, so using phone numbers make perfect sense.

I meant in Telegram you don't need to share your phone number with your contants or members of a public chat you've joined. While in WhatsApp or Signal your contacts know your number and can easily find out your identity and where you live if you write something they don't like.

Re: Signal commit Username Integration Test

#39

Post by codedokode »

tech_ken wrote: post #27
rt4mn wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For a lot of people, signal is not simply a User-User "texting" type application, but much more akin to slack or discord or matrix. Many, Many reporters put their signal number in twitter bio seeking tips. Many activists (including me) use signal group chats to organize volenteers and staff, and publicly share room links. In other words, we have to either share our number publicly or buy a burner phone number if we w…

Makes sense, definitely if anonymity from conversation partners is desired then I can see how Signal's model falls short of your needs. I've also used Signal in the past for activist group chats, but in those cases my primary risk vector has been having messages read by someone outside of the group, people typically join those after being referred by someone they met face-to-face. I suppose there's always the risk of…

This is still bad, as any of them sees all the phones of members of the group. In Telegram you can hide your number.

Re: Signal commit Username Integration Test

#40

Post by tech_ken »

codedokode wrote: post #39
tech_ken wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Makes sense, definitely if anonymity from conversation partners is desired then I can see how Signal's model falls short of your needs. I've also used Signal in the past for activist group chats, but in those cases my primary risk vector has been having messages read by someone outside of the group, people typically join those after being referred by someone they met face-to-face. I suppose there's always the risk of…

This is still bad, as any of them sees all the phones of members of the group. In Telegram you can hide your number.

Presumably if they introduced usernames they would also allow you to hide your number in a chat?

edit: I think I misunderstood you. Yes, it is the case that everyone in the chat has access to everyone else's ID, however in my use-cases group members have already been vetted before joining the group, I don't participate in publicly accessible Signal chats or use it to communicate with true strangers.

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