FSF-endorsed social networks? Discourse, Disroot, GNUsocial, LibrePlanet, Mastodon ... else?
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There's a list for our endorsed operating systems like Parabola and Trisquel, but never a similar list for social networks as in freedom.
If I start the list then the first few are, Discourse, Disroot, GNUsocial, LibrePlanet, Mastodon.
Telegram anyway won't be listed here where servers and Android clients are nonfree, even although the protocols and Parabola clients are libre.
Which few are the remaining libre social networks that need attention to be listed here? :)
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diaspora, you forget
Yes Diaspora is also one but I was just impatient and the thread content is always frozen after posted.
For readability
- Facebook-like: Diaspora (requires some JS)
- Twitter-like: GNUsocial/Mastodon (one can communicate with each interchangeably!)
- Online forum software: Discourse (requires some JS)
- ?Lawer services regarding privacy?: Disroot
- ?Wiki about free-software conference planning?: LibrePlanet
Added
- Deezer/Spotify-like, maybe Soundcloud and/or Bandcamp-like?: GNU FM (only with libre music I suppose)
- Whatsapp-like: Signal (less features, more privacy, although the OS and the hardware are the weak links)
- Skype-like: GNU Ring (also available on Android!)
Additional general info:
Some of these are accessible on online servers (Diaspora, GNUsocial/Mastodon...) . They can also be installed on personal servers/computers (which can be used as servers as well, but would need to be on all the time).
Libre.fm is now still down :(
Signal and Ring is only available to mobiles and Debian-based Linux distro like Trisquel, Devuan, PureOS. In Parabola and *BSD they’re always abesent. :(
Disroot is an online framework, just imagine Disroot on the web is like KDE in free desktops. :)
But is Matrix also recommended for here?
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Signal and Ring is only available to mobiles and Debian-based Linux distro like Trisquel, Devuan, PureOS. In Parabola and *BSD they’re always abesent. :(
Ring is now available in Hyperbola's repos:
https://issues.hyperbola.info/index.php?do=details&task_id=1067
I've these days upgraded my Hyperbola with also installing Ring. :)
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Ring is in Parabola as well:
https://www.parabola.nu/packages/community/x86_64/ring-daemon/
Will add any of you here also on Ring. Let ourselves be meeting once more on Ring and Signal. :)
Downsides of Signal
- it's not in the repo
- you sign up with a phone number (not that bad, but still)
- Google services are needed (for push only)
- It's also not decentralised/decentralisable.
https://decentralize.today/signal-secure-messengers-or-not-so-secure-part-2-43d8dac33943?gi=7ab6eae98a62
- (applicable to any app) most people won't build from source, so that's trusting in Google Play and Apple's equivalent for no tampering.
Upsides of Signal
- available on both desktop and mobile devices
- encrypted text, voice and video communication.
Even with the most libre programs, non-free hardware and OS will still be the norm for several reasons.
I mean it's the next best thing to decentralised libre programs used on both libre OS, both used on libre hardware.
Possible, but that's a very, very limited group of people.
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Ah, I see now (wrong URL at first):
Disroot offers online hosted software under one account:
https://disroot.org/en
Although the non-neutral communication of the website might act as a deterrent to some, it's an interesting set of services for anyone not comfortable with self-hosting.
EDIT: Wow... Hopefully the Disroot people will find a way to filter these morons. https://disroot.org/en/blog/temporary-closed-registration
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Matrix? only the first one.
But seriously, I see it's used by the chat from Disroot.
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Some privacy for any smartphone app:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/xposed/modules/xprivacylua6-0-android-privacy-manager-t3730663
Although not under repos, Signal is still available as a sole Debian bin that can be installed on Devuan, PureOS, Trisquel. However, I actually want Parabola also shipping Signal under the repo. I also have few semi-nonfree *BSD projects installed on my machine so I also want FreshPorts for Signal available.
A Debian bin? I only see this method from their website:
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=135251
You mean this? (requires JS) https://beta.flathub.org/apps/details/org.signal.Signal
Basically:
https://beta.flathub.org/repo/appstream/org.signal.Signal.flatpakref (to get the link, although no gpg or md or sha checking)
flatpak install flathub org.signal.Signal
flatpak run org.signal.Signal
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Btw, I stumbled upon a way to log in without giving your real phone number. Can't find the URL that explains it just yet though.
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Overall, the need of google push (although I think they're attempting to get rid of that) and no 32 bit client (thanks ivanruvalcaba) are the only downsides left.
Still, I don't really understand why such a famous program isn't in one of the most important free-software repository.
Either way, added to Xprivacylua (although not needed for Signal really), and Replicant/LineageOS (and an optional faraday pouch), it's most likely the simplest, safest/most privacy friendly communication software on mobile and desktop.
The weakest link will still be the other persons we communicate with: Non-free OS.
But that's unavoidable for now. Also the apps on google play and the appstore are signed by the main dev actually.
Also, despite all this, I'd personally avoid long personal conversations on the phone/desktop app as a general rule, and use it more as a meetup tool for such cases.
Pardon and I also have stood for all Debian-based systems, not just Debian itself :).
I don't understand. You said:
"Although not under repos, Signal is still available as a sole Debian bin that can be installed on Devuan, PureOS, Trisquel."
I didn't find it. Can you please tell me where it is?
Another downside:
- Official Desktop App (Either way, Electron App): It only supports 64-bit systems.
https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/7axvs7/does_signal_desktop_support_voice_calls/
So for Signal-desktop, no voice/video calls for now.
Pleroma seems like a good alternative to Mastodon.
Signal alternative = Wire?
It seems it's not as good for a reason I can't remember.
There was another program compared as well to those two, Signal is better from what I quickly gathered.
Signal has Debian and Hyperbola bins, I've installed Hyperbola one but don't have downloaded Debian one. Which @usernames to add any of you here also on Signal?
I don't trust Signal, and anybody who cares about software freedom has good reasons not to trust it, as summed up nicely here:
https://drewdevault.com/2018/08/08/Signal.html
You may want to consider Patchwork too, at scuttlebutt.nz
I'm testing it, so far so good, but I cannot firmly recommend it because I don't have the expertise to do a good freedom analysis.
But requires installing desktop packages to work for, Android bins missing. Diaspora and Disroot are better that don't require installed software packages.
Just to be clear, Disroot is not a piece of software, or a social network, but a hosting organization (like RiseUp, Framasoft, and Mastodon.host). They host instances of Diaspora and Hubzilla, as well as email, NextCloud, and many other services, all using free code packages. I've been hosting my personal email there for a while. They are awesome!
I just want to put in a little promo for a website that aims to provide a newbie-friendly guide to federated social networks:
https://fediverse.party/
I've been using Wire, it's a great replacement for Skype, FaceTime, FB Messenger etc. I've used it on Trisquel using both the web app and the desktop app. The desktop app is also an Electron app, with all the downsides of that, but now that they've released all their client and server code, hopefully any remaining non-free dependencies can be identified and replaced.
PeerTube is very great to be a free YouTube (or DailyMotion, Vimeo) replacement. :)
Hi gd_scania, I have tried PeerTube and it's very good. Uploading video is very easy, watching is nothing difficult, and sharing the video to personal blog works well. My favorite instance for now is peervideos.com. How about you?
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