Exciting news for privacy!

Debby

@Jerry @_elena I completely understand your concerns about Signal's server software being proprietary. It’s definitely a valid point, and I share your desire for more transparency in the tools we use. While Signal is a step in the right direction compared to unencrypted options, I agree that open-source solutions like XMPP offer a more decentralized and user-controlled approach.

Kudos to you for opening your own XMPP server! That’s an amazing initiative, and I’m excited to give it a try. It’s true that many people may not fully grasp the importance of these concepts yet, but every conversation we have helps raise awareness. Let’s keep spreading the word about the benefits of open-source and decentralized communication!

Thanks again for your insights, and I look forward to connecting on your server!

#OpenSource #XMPP #Decentralization #PrivacyAdvocate #CommunityDriven

Derek Morr

@debby @Jerry @_elena Signal’s server is not proprietary. You can download the code here. https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Server

Jerry Lerman

@derekmorr @debby @_elena
Seems you are right. My information was outdated. They have finally made it all open source.

I suppose now the only issue is that it runs only on their servers, which may be concerning to some.

Elena Rossini ⁂

@Jerry thank you for starting a conversation about this Jerry and @debby .

I use Signal as my primary messaging app but I’ve also been concerned that - despite them being open source - communications are hosted on their own servers. I know everything is E2EE but I wish I had more control. That’s why I’m now drawn to #Matrix . Their app #Element is superb. You could host your own Matrix server. Only downside: asking my non-technical friends and family to move to it.

Thoughts?

Jerry Lerman

@_elena @debby
Elena, your reason for being drawn to Matrix is the same reason I was drawn to #Jabber (XMPP). And, sadly, it's the same downside. Getting friends and family to move to a private platform seems impossible.

I don't know if I'm the crazy one, or them?

I chose Jabber because it seems more appropriate for one-on-one chats, although it supports groups. Matrix, to me, seemed to be the reverse situation. But, I could be wrong.

I've also read many stories about how difficult it is to both run a Matrix server and moderate it. Although, I haven't faced moderation issues yet with my Jabber server.

Elena Rossini ⁂

@Jerry re: getting friends to move, I managed the impossible and got 95% of my friends and my ENTIRE family to move to Signal in January 2020. Matrix is a whole different thing though, I wouldn't even dare ask them.

I need to start doing Signal exports / backups in case something happens to my phone, I wouldn't want to lose 5 years' worth of messages. My Signal "backups" for now are my husband's phone and my family's phones (they could export chats for me)

Debacle

@_elena @Jerry

I got most of family and friends to #Jabber by not having centralised (i.e. WA, Signal, Telegram etc.) options myself. Only #XMPP, email, snail mail postcard. Many took the first option, some the second, very few the third.

Most are still on WA for everyone else but me, but that's their #digitalHealth issue, not mine.

Jerry Lerman

@debacle @_elena
I have not been so lucky ️

Maybe your family and friends like talking to you more than my family and friends like talking to me.

Elena ``of Valhalla''

@Jerry @debacle @_elena I'm in a similar situation, and I've used a bit of a stick-and-carrot approach where I'm only available on xmpp (or email. nobody seems to have taken up the postcard option ), but I've also offered family members accounts on my server, to ease their onboarding.

(for convenience I also host accounts for a few friends, but in that case I have the requirement that they provide the domain, so that they can easily migrate elsewhere if they so decide)

Debacle

@valhalla @Jerry @_elena

Talking of onboarding #Jabber, #Prosody by @prosodyim has a very nice invitation system:

Great Invitations

There are two kinds of servers on the XMPP network today: those with public registration, and those without. The servers that support registration generally allow you to create accounts via the web, or using your XMPP client (XEP-0077). The problem is that this opens your server up to the world. Even when you add CAPTCHAs and other defences, even the most careful XMPP public server admin will at some point see spammers registering accounts on their server.

(blog.prosody.im)

It allows users of an #XMPP server to invite others, which again can invite more people etc.

Jerry Lerman

@debacle @valhalla @_elena @prosodyim
Thank you for sharing this!