this post was submitted on 28 Apr 2024
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Privacy
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With signals now usernames, why should I use xmpp? Ive heard of it before but it'll be just another messaging app imo.
3 reasons for me:
XMPP implementations have been around so much longer than signal, to me signal would be "just another messaging app"
XMPP doesn't require my phone number. Signal might give you the option to use usernames with your contacts, but still requires a valid number for registration last I checked.
I can self host an XMPP server instead of trusting/depending on someone else.
Signal also requires you surrender to the Android/iOS duopoly to install the app on a device with a SIM to create that account. You can’t create an account on a SIM-less tablet; you can’t have a Linux phone. I’m not entirely sure if it behaves like LINE tho, where they will check in to see if the phone is still activated else it will kill access to your account from other platform--I have to keep Signal installed to talk to my family currently.
And even if centralization wasn't a concern, there would be a massive issue: much harder to maintain several accounts. I cannot imagine using the same account for things related to my real identity and to my online one. Also would not like to expose my encrypted conversations to a smartphone: thus, the public groupchats are on a separate account that I log into on both devices, while personal messages are left on laptop only.
With XMPP you can self-host a server or you can have your own custom domain hosted with XMPP via the Conversations developer. Signal is a centralized service in the USA, hosted on Google servers. And yes, one more app on the phone will cost more battery life.