For a really long time I have wanted a world with this in it:
- Self-host Signal server under my desk or in a network-near dc (https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Server)
- Install Signal app from whatever store
- Open up app and select my alternative server
- Ask friends/family/colleagues to open up their apps and do the same
- Federate my server with other Signal servers (edit)
I dropped both Signal and Simplex, and tried 'most', secure messenger in favour of the federated #chatmail messenger Delta Chat.
I, like @keith, will not suggest you 'move' all your contacts to it, nor will I claim it to be the 'best'.
What I will say though is, after many year's investigating options in the Secure Messenger category, I really like pretty well everything about it and, more importantly, have managed to get the important people in my life to also adopt it.
And, to me, after decentralisation, this was the Holy Grail...
@avoca @keith Delta is really great.
I have to use many different messaging apps in my work, which is to support frontliners in the human rights and enviro defense spaces. 95%(?) use Signal, most could care less about tech, oft express platform fatigue (esp the older among them). They just want to be where everyone else is, to not think about it, and feel a bit safer. So Signal it is.
Because of this thread, and pondering that time gone by when I myself was struggling to try to get people to use less data-leaky platforms. including, yes #Signal; I just watched:
https://media.ccc.de/v/mch2022-196-signal-you-were-the-chosen-one-
In response to moxie's whining about LibreSignal (remember that?) using Signal's oh so expensive and difficult to run servers, @rysiek asks the audience:
"Who here has pushed, talked, conversed, suggested, etc people to use Signal?" [ raises own hand, audience not visible ]
"And how much work was this?" [ nods, gives impression audience are in agreement with rhetorical question ]
"Who here was paid by SIgnal to do this?"
[ audience recognition and applause ]
So yeah.. Signal it is, but there was a time that it wasn't. We all worked to make that happen. Next time, and there will be a next time, I hope at least, we will have learned from these mistakes.
Julian says a LOT of very valid things is these discussions. I myself am hatching educational projects around building community networks (real ones, not bullshit facebook gatways that the NGO sector currently promotes as CN).
One thing is for sure, I will NEVER promote centralised services again.
@keith @JulianOliver @avoca yeah, I also started promoting @delta more recently. It's in our power to move people over to better tools.