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Comment by cevn | Hacker News Reader

Why not just use Signal? Didn't moxie implement the e2e in whatsapp anyways?

My main problem with Signal (and similar apps like Wire) is syncing messages across devices. I'd often find myself turning on my home computer after work and having to wait a while for the desktop app to finally finish syncing with my phone and allowing me to chat. Call me spoiled but after experiencing that every night it started to grate on me.

WhatsApp uses the Signal protocol, but somehow managed to make this work with WhatsApp Web, so the limitation isn't inherent to the technology.

The last time I had looked into it, somebody on the Signal github suggested otherwise. I hope you're right but either way that doesn't change the fact that this problem is still present today.

WhatsApp web does key exchange over QR code, which is a fascinating choice.

Doesn't this apply to 100% of communication apps (IRC, chat, email, social media)? What's the alternative?

Wire takes a few seconds to sync messages to a powered on device, same as an email client.

I'm glad it's working well you but neither Signal nor Wire took acceptable amounts of time to sync my messages versus every other networked app I use.

Do you have a github issue link for Signal or Wire?

xmpp seems to have good syncing

While Signal is a good start, you do lose the advantage WhatsApp: its entrenched market dominance and network effect.

Network effects with messaging are weaker.

If you convince just one of your friends to hop onto signal, it can be useful - make it someone you message a lot and go from there. A few months ago I had just one person I used it for. Now it’s in double figures and growing.

Every hacker who gives a damn should install signal and encourage others to use it. There’s just no downside.

You don't even need to convince one of your friends initially - just use it as a regular SMS texting app. That's how I started, and now I'd guess about one third of my friends have Signal. (Though I guess it helps that I don't use WhatsApp either.)

I'm not sure why this is downvoted. While yes, network effects come and go, currently WhatsApp has a market dominance. I tell people I use Signal, WhatsApp, and Text, but prefer Signal, and most people either use WhatsApp or Text. It is hard to get people to switch. That is the reason Facebook is so dominant, even though it is common for people to dislike a lot of it.

Market dominance and network effects come and go.

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