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BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

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Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#391

Post by snowmobile »

drcongo wrote: post #59
snowmobile wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's wrong with the name? Some cultural reference I'm not getting?

I couldn't work out what the hell the app is from the website, as the home page tells you it's a "New Home for Work Chat" and mentions "Still using personal chat apps for work conversations?" - so I'm guessing it's supposed to have some business focus, but the app name makes it sound like something you'd install for your kids. I can't imagine ever saying to someone "we need to discuss contract details, let's talk on…

The silly names for "work apps" has been a meme since at least 2022. https://x.com/gossipbabies/status/1487161069143576576

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#392

Post by lpcvoid »

moffkalast wrote: post #370
mcjiggerlog wrote: post #2

> With the new WhatsApp interface mandated by the DMA, any BirdyChat user in the EEA will be able to start a chat with any WhatsApp user in the region simply by knowing their phone number. Unfortunately, as it's been implemented as opt-in on WhatsApp's side, this isn't really true. Honestly that decision alone means it's kinda dead in the water.

I thought the stupid name was enough to kill it tbh. I'm not telling anyone they can call me on "birdychat" lmao.

While I also don't think Birdychat is a good name, you could also argue that "Whatsapp" is a weird name for an app billions of people use.

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#394

Post by bruce343434 »

rippeltippel wrote: post #324
bruce343434 wrote: post #243

Never heard of this before. Why would I use this? I am assuming the messages are not actually encrypted, because on their own privacy page they state that they "process" messages and attachments sent through birdychat. So are they processing the raw unencrypted data on their servers or what? From a cursory glance of their CSAE policy, combined with the above, it seems they would be very eager to comply with the dread…

It is very possible that they process messages in the client app, before sending them. WhatsApp does the same: have you noticed how the photos you receive have a debatable quality? Presumably (and hopefully) the sender's app downscaled them before e2e encryption.

From this it seems that whatsapp interop requires you to pass a url of the media, not the actual encrypted media. Aside from TLS, I'm not sure what encryption you get for attachments

https://engineering.fb.com/2024/03/06/security/whatsapp-mess...

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#395

Post by SahAssar »

bojan wrote: post #235
altern8 wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but the U.S. are a single country, while Europe is many different countries that are completely different. I'm in Poland and can drive 2 hours and stop understanding what people are saying to me (in German and Czech). That was my point.

> while Europe is many different countries that are completely different. I've always found this a weird take. European (EU) countries are more similar to each other than any country outside of Europe is to any European country. In your example, if you drive two hours to Germany or Czechia, your car will still be insured, all your bank cards will still work, the price of your mobile phone service stays the same, you'…

> I've always found this a weird take. European (EU) countries are more similar to each other than any country outside of Europe is to any European country.

You think finland and malta are more similar to each other than sweden and norway?

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#396

Post by SahAssar »

School-Cotton wrote: post #194
aucisson_masque wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’d rather have my data accessed by eu agencies than USA ones. Seeing how this country is turning more and more into a fascist oligarchy.

Right-wing populist parties are very popular in Europe, including in France and Germany, the two most important EU countries. There is a significant possibility that people with Trump-like ideologies will come to power there before too long.

Right, but trump is in power in the US now.

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#397

Post by mhitza »

j1elo wrote: post #345
direwolf20 wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's one. It's Signal. I keep telling people to use it and they keep not, because people are less likely to do things if they've been told they should do them.

To add a datapoint I can share mine: it's me who would be in a position to bootstrap the change in my circles, but I wouldn't use or recommend Signal as Whatsapp replacement until the core features are on parity, including history backups, which have always been a lagging userstory for Signal. I think they have different (and somewhat opposing, even) targets, Signal wants to be extremely privacy protecting, and it's…

BTW Signal has a backup feature in the client (beta). Though can't say more about how it works since its a feature I do not need.

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#398

Post by expedition32 »

jhasse wrote: post #361
direwolf20 wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's one. It's Signal. I keep telling people to use it and they keep not, because people are less likely to do things if they've been told they should do them.

Signal is so much worse than WhatsApp from a UX perspective. Backup sync forces you to allow background permissions (WhatsApp doesn't), you have to set and get nagged to enter a PIN every few weeks (WhatsApp doesn't), there's no transcription for audio messages (WhatsApp has that for some languages), the desktop app loses its connection if you don't open it ever few weeks (WhatsApp works fine), etc. If you want peopl…

My circle switched to Signal because we are concerned about tech bros and a fascist America.

Boosting Russia is not the solution.

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#399

Post by abanana »

stef25 wrote: post #333
hei-lima wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In countries where SMS isn't as widespread as it is in the US, the use of WhatsApp is much more common. I live in one of those countries, and I don't think I've ever had to use it to communicate with someone on another continent. I think most of its use is simply local, for your community or friend group. The downside for me is basically the lack of appeal for a non-tech user (like my parents) to voluntarily want to…

> SMS Here in EU you pay for that. Soon as you send an image, you get charged extra. Completely useless compared to Whatsapp

SMS is text only. If you're sending an image, you're not using SMS, you're using MMS.

There are phone deals that include unlimited SMS messages, but not MMS.

Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp

#400

Post by u8080 »

aucisson_masque wrote: post #186
u8080 wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>still external companies that will hand over data from europeans The idea here is that EU three letter agencies also have access to your data

I’d rather have my data accessed by eu agencies than USA ones. Seeing how this country is turning more and more into a fascist oligarchy.

If you let your govt abuse your rights, you will end in the same spot.
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