USA, which prides itself on freedoms, seems to have conceded a great deal of them when it comes to life online. From Apple apps, GPDR, now this. It sucks to see what we are missing out on.
GDPR?
BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp
421–430 of 517 posts
Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp
#422Earlier quoted context omitted.
Surely there must be someone capable of and willing to update OTR to support the latest PQC encryption protocols and ciphers. OTR is the only semi-trustable model of E2EE I have ever seen. Anything managed by the same platform managing the communication is dead in the water for me.
The OTRv4 project is apparently dead. The last commit from Celi was four years ago https://github.com/otrv4/otrv4
All the more reason to fork.
Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp
#423Earlier 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
depends where; in France you can get unlimited SMS/MMS/calls, plus 350Go of data, for 20€/month [0]. it's surprising the market hasn't developed likewise in other (European) countries; I (genuinely) wonder why − perhaps legal issues of some sort?
edit: okay, sending MMS isn't always free, depends on the countries[1]. still free for USA, Europe, Canada, etc.
Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp
#424Earlier quoted context omitted.
> any WhatsApp user in the region The regional limit makes it pretty much useless. The only reason I keep a whatsapp account is to stay in touch with my family in law and a few relatives who live in another continent.
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…
> I think most of its use is simply local, for your community or friend group.
I live in one such country, and indeed, the bulk of my usage is to coordinate with local groups based in the same city.
But tend to meet many people from the US who don't live here, and they all straight up ask for my whatsapp.
I'm also a heavy telegram and signal user, and can't recall a single instance of anybody mentioning these.
Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp
#425Earlier quoted context omitted.
Here in EU even the 5 €/month phone plans have unlimited SMS. As soon as you want to talk to someone without Whatsapp, you need to figure out which other apps they're on. Completely useless compared to SMS Have you considered that the EU isn't one country?
In Ireland on my otherwise very generous mobile phone account I'm charged for multimedia SMS texts. They're not included in my SMS bundle.
In France, I'm "charged" for MMS, too. But that's actually considered "data", so it's deducted from the "internet" envelope which is quite generous (at least for my needs: I have multiple dozens of GB for under 10 € a month, of which I only ever went above 10 when backing up photos during a vacation with no wifi).
Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp
#426I'd like to take the opportunity to mention a tiny very useful app that allows opening a WhatsApp chat directly with any number, without having to register it first as a contact. Great for vacations or similar situations where a quick one-time chat is needed with somebody: * https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trianguloy... * Webapp: https://trianguloy.github.io/OpenInWhatsapp_Web/ I'm just grateful for…
You can just paste the number into the "start new chat" search input and start a chat from there. You don't need any of this.
Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp
#427Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp
#428Earlier quoted context omitted.
How so exactly? They can say they are keeping conversations secure from 3rd parties.
That doesn't make sense -- the parties to the conversation already _have_ the messages. Spam prevention is a likely angle, however. EU should force it to be opt-out, not opt-in -- probably what people want anyway.
I would like to be opted out by default. I'm worried at least one of those new services is going to get overrun by spammers, and if I'm opted in by default they could use the gateway to whatsapp to spam everyone else.
Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp
#429I'd like to take the opportunity to mention a tiny very useful app that allows opening a WhatsApp chat directly with any number, without having to register it first as a contact. Great for vacations or similar situations where a quick one-time chat is needed with somebody: * https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trianguloy... * Webapp: https://trianguloy.github.io/OpenInWhatsapp_Web/ I'm just grateful for…
Ah, this is handy, as Europe (even more than the UK somehow) seems to love engaging in customer service via WhatsApp. On the continent I end up having to use it to manage bookings for Hotels and restaurants. I removed my profile picture because of this.
Huh. Never had that here (Germany), otoh it’s super common in South Africa
Re: BirdyChat becomes first European chat app that is interoperable with WhatsApp
#430Earlier quoted context omitted.
SMS isn't widespread in the US, iMessage is.
40% of Americans are not using I whatever. I'd consider that widespread.
> I whatever
iMessage?
> 40% of Americans are not using [iMessage]. I'd consider that widespread.
That doesn't mean those 40% are using SMS instead.