It didn't quite disappear. AFAICT, the core team is working on NewNode now: https://www.newnode.com/firechat
The text mentions an anodyne "for business reasons", so that should leave the door wide open for any conspiracy theories ;)
FireChat was a tool for revolution, then disappeared
31–40 of 127 posts
Re: FireChat was a tool for revolution, then disappeared
#32If you really want a chat tool to start a revolution, meet in person with people you trust and don't bring any electronic devices with you. And only talk to people who you really trust. Forget phones.
Revolutionaries definitely had problems with surveillance and infiltration before electronics.
Re: FireChat was a tool for revolution, then disappeared
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think a combination of LoRa, bluetooth, and WiFi might be the alternative. I've seen videos of LoRA functioning below the noise floor (perfect for evading RF triangulation), and at 200km (perfect for reaching past physical borders). The major weakness is line of sight (and availability), but bluetooth and WiFi can help there.
Theoretically it can't be below the noise floor right? I don’t know much about radio stuff fwiw that just seems impossible by definition
GPS signals are below the noise floor when they arrive at your phone.
Re: FireChat was a tool for revolution, then disappeared
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think a combination of LoRa, bluetooth, and WiFi might be the alternative. I've seen videos of LoRA functioning below the noise floor (perfect for evading RF triangulation), and at 200km (perfect for reaching past physical borders). The major weakness is line of sight (and availability), but bluetooth and WiFi can help there.
Theoretically it can't be below the noise floor right? I don’t know much about radio stuff fwiw that just seems impossible by definition
https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/docs/lorawan/rssi-and-snr/
> If the RSSI is below the noise floor, it is impossible to demodulate the signal. However, LoRa can demodulate signals that are below the noise floor.
Re: FireChat was a tool for revolution, then disappeared
#35To be clear, FireChat was a proprietary and closed source app which went away for reasons that only the people controlling it truly understand. That immediately suggests to me more of a "the money ran out" situation vs the more salacious "the CIA had a word" style implication at the end of the parent.
Re: FireChat was a tool for revolution, then disappeared
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
It looks like this allows short range communication, but doesn't set up a meshnet. So wouldn't be great for anything more than a couple hundred feet. Beyond that though, at this point for protests (in the US at least), the suggested opsec is to leave your phone at home.
It's getting so "and he left his phone at home" has been brought up as evidence in many trials.
Has it?! That's distressing...
Re: FireChat was a tool for revolution, then disappeared
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
That seems very likely. My point wasn't to say that they were looking to make a revolutionary tool to fight a state, more that it makes me sad that the ones that catch on are rarely open source ones that have existed.
because open source have the worst marketing budget, always. by definition.
Do you know of any projects that tried to advertise how much it helps? Obviously quite a limited set of projects that would even have a budget to advertise, but I wonder if there is data on how much it helps to show folks there are other options.
Re: FireChat was a tool for revolution, then disappeared
#38If you really want a chat tool to start a revolution, meet in person with people you trust and don't bring any electronic devices with you. And only talk to people who you really trust. Forget phones.
Revolutionaries definitely had problems with surveillance and infiltration before electronics.
Indeed, and they have more problems after. Especially since the next revolution will likely be one against capitalism itself.
Re: FireChat was a tool for revolution, then disappeared
#39If you really want a chat tool to start a revolution, meet in person with people you trust and don't bring any electronic devices with you. And only talk to people who you really trust. Forget phones.
Everything is trade-offs. Meeting in person is great, until you're in the middle of a protest and everyone has to scatter because the police are firing tear gas at your skull. At that point, you rather do need to either have had a plan, or you need some way to communicate that isn't face-to-face.
Yes. My advice is a general one to be used as far as possible.
Re: FireChat was a tool for revolution, then disappeared
#40If you really want a chat tool to start a revolution, meet in person with people you trust and don't bring any electronic devices with you. And only talk to people who you really trust. Forget phones.
A antifa relative does not carry their phone with them when they meet, nor do they carry it in their person when attending a rally - they have a friend/lawyer name/number written in a paper with them, just in case some one has to be contacted. At rallies, masked, sun glasses, baseball hat and a couple of shirts
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