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Bitchat – A decentralized messaging app that works over Bluetooth mesh networks

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Re: Bitchat – A decentralized messaging app that works over Bluetooth mesh networks

#371

Post by subscribed »

IshKebab wrote: post #173
sardine5 wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I possibly live more remote than you do - but mobile data isn't really a thing (in the UK at least) you can rely on continuously when you're cycling, or visiting the supermarket and you've lost your partner near the cheese aisle...

I mean it is in most of the UK. Maybe not in remote areas of Scotland or Wales.

In most of the supermarkets down here, couple of miles from M25. I mean, outside, so its probably considered third-world country, but no, no need to reduce the argument ad absurdum.

Or 2 metres from the window a mile from Hammersmith. If not for WiFi calling I'd have to leave my phones on the windowsill.

Re: Bitchat – A decentralized messaging app that works over Bluetooth mesh networks

#373

Post by kosolam »

WantonQuantum wrote: post #338
kosolam wrote: post #301

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please check the parent comment which I replied to, this is a solution to “how to implement a robust micropayment system” in this context, not how to solve a “decentralized communications problem”.

Well, there's the "Given the intended use-case, that would not work." part which very much means the payment system is in the context of the intended use case.

The full comment quoted:

  >I like the idea, I just don't know how to implement a robust micropayment system that does not require a lot of messages back and forth for a transaction. Given the intended use-case, that would not work.
My reply is: here is the system that will work. Very simple. Keep in mind that multiple use cases and applications were mentioned, so I don’t see an issue for such an economic model to support at least some of the use cases.

Re: Bitchat – A decentralized messaging app that works over Bluetooth mesh networks

#375

Post by Bhilai »

lossolo wrote: post #307
BluSyn wrote: post #14

FYI on X there is a TestFlight link to try it: https://x.com/jack/status/1941989435962212728 Surprised to see Jack pushing code himself. Love to see it.

> Surprised to see Jack pushing code himself. Love to see it. Almost the whole repo is LLM generated. Look at the commits, code, structure and wording of the docs.

Sure but it's an commendable effort by a CEO.

Re: Bitchat – A decentralized messaging app that works over Bluetooth mesh networks

#376

Post by SamPatt »

sneak wrote: post #288
simondanerd wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like to point you towards Meshtastic [1]. It's off-grid, decentralized text messaging that allows for encryption, and is inexpensive to get into (a basic node is about $30 or less), and don't require a license to operate. The firmware on these devices is open source (minus proprietary blobs for ESP32 WiFi, etc.) and the community is active. Check the Meshmap [2] to see some nodes that have made their location pub…

Meshtastic barely works. There are only a few hundred nodes in Las Vegas and already the main public channels are at high utilization with almost no real end user traffic on it. I love the project and participate, but people mentioning stuff like this in response to buzzwords irritates me. Like ipfs it is a buzzword-driven curiosity, not a real solution to real problems that anyone has. Additionally, the meshtastic e…

IPFS used to be a real solution, we used it as the base layer for the decentralized marketplace OpenBazaar and it worked fairly well for that. I haven’t followed it in a few years though.

IPNS, on the other hand...

Re: Bitchat – A decentralized messaging app that works over Bluetooth mesh networks

#377

Post by snickerer »

RiverCrochet wrote: post #297
snickerer wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is already mostly done. Participate in the development of Reticulum. Install the app Sideband on your Smartphone or other device. Sideband is a chat app that uses LXMF. LXMF is a messaging protocol based on Reticulum. Reticulum is a full network stack that is decentralized and transport layer agnostic. What we need for your vision is LoRa modems integrated in our phones. Or just a bluetooth mesh interface for Re…

> Implement a new interface type that uses the technology called 'bluetooth mesh' and your vision is done. Reticulum supports using serial ports as interfaces, so if you get serial-over-Bluetooth working it can be done now. One other thing I really like about Reticulum is that it also supports generic stdin/stdout to a process as an interface, so with some scripting and what not you can literally make it work over an…

Yes, you could have a peer-to-peer connection with bluetooth as the transport layer. But that's not the vision. The vision is an out-of-the-box bluetooth mesh network, like what you have when you connect to an IP network with Reticulum.

Re: Bitchat – A decentralized messaging app that works over Bluetooth mesh networks

#378

Post by Tepix »

Beretta_Vexee wrote: post #220
Tepix wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the whitepaper: " bitchat implements a custom mesh networking protocol over BLE " I wonder why they didn‘t implement the BLE mesh networking standard released in 2017 by the Bluetooth SIG.

There are already several open source implementations, but the Bluetooth SIG standard only supports flood propagation. This is fine for managing a few hundred temperature sensors or lighting controls up to the building's floor concentrator, which is the main use case for this standard, but it is completely unsuitable for sending individual messages from user A to user B.

Interesting. I looked at https://www.bluetooth.com/mesh-directed-forwarding/ and it seems like "Bluetooth Mesh Directed Forwarding" is an improvement over "Bluetooth Mesh Managed Flooding" for this scenario? It got added in v1.1 of the spec.

Re: Bitchat – A decentralized messaging app that works over Bluetooth mesh networks

#379

Post by immibis »

throwaway290 wrote: post #353
strangattractor wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Handing someone a $1 is irreversible if they won't give it back. All transactions are anonymous and private when using a physical dollar. Crypto has the primary advantage of allowing you to launder money by converting the "Coin" in criminal friendly countries to a fiat currency (dollars) that actually buys stuff. Especially useful when hackers hold your data ransom. Usually what people mean by not like "traditional b…

People who don't like traditional banking system just want a system where they have more money. If they actually wanted to fix fairness etc creating a new system is not a way, you can make the old system fairer like you can make a new unfair one

The old system is a centralized one where there is one entity in charge which gets to set the level of fairness, unless you mean the meta-system whereby anyone can create a new system where they will be the dictator.

Re: Bitchat – A decentralized messaging app that works over Bluetooth mesh networks

#380

Post by immibis »

Ray20 wrote: post #308
zawaideh wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First use that comes to mind is Gaza where Israel cut off power, bombed cell towers and internet cables. Something like this could help get messages out.

I don't think this is relevant. Free communication of people is the last thing regimes like those that govern Gaza need. My money on that local authorities will literally execute people for simply having such apps on their phones.

By "regimes that govern Gaza" I presume you're talking about Likud? They are the ones dropping bombs, but they don't have boots on the ground, so they can't inspect everyone's cellphone and catch people for having the wrong apps installed.
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