• TheFrirish@jlai.lu
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    10 months ago

    I understand her point and imho that’s what makes signal a superior option to the others but because of these extreme choices I’ve seen the usage of signal gradually go down (might be wrong for the total number of users) around me. Now I don’t anyone who uses signal anymore.

    it’s a real shame it’s ridiculous to be using whatsapp but I have whatsapp installed on my phone not signal because that’s what everyone uses.

    • BananaTrifleViolin@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Signal were fools to remove the SMS support from their app. That was a good way to get people in to use the system - they could have insecure SMS chats with those not on signal, and secure signal chats with those on it. The app would warn you when someone didn’t have signal and the chat was insecure.

      It was a really good “trojan horse” route into people’s lives. I was using signal every day and it was easier encouraging others to make the switch because it was a convenient app.

      Then the devs removed that and dumped all their users back onto other SMS apps.

      Now I have 3 apps - an SMS app, Signal and WhatsApp. I barely ever use Signal now. I want to use it more but so few people I know use it, and it’s not the first place people message me from.

      Removing SMS support was a huge strategic misstep. They should have been the bridge for people to move from SMS to secure chat.

      • mightyfoolish@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        While I do think you are correct, you have to remember a few things:

        1. SMS really isn’t used outside the US (and iMessage pretty much was the death of text messages and now iMessage also supports RCS)
        2. Open source projects can be strict about following a moral code
        3. Anything more than just sending secure messages is just an attack vector and more layers of code to maintain
    • recklessengagement@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      I got my whole family on it, and generally all my closest friends have it as at least a backup. As the other chat apps falter it’s been easier to convert people.

    • Hudomi@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      I tried switching to Signal a couple years ago but I had to return to WhatsApp since literally no one of my friends and acquaintances did the jump. It wasn’t even considered an option by many. So it was either returning to Whatsapp or being cut off from everyone.

      If people were a bit more open-minded Signal could be a good alternative. But alas…

    • duffman@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      So then it seems completely absurd signal is “not interested” in allowing any integration. They could just notify their users communications with WhatsApp users are unsecure.