Interesting - thanks, I might try this.

Interesting, as that was a question I, and others, had about whether this is open source or not. Are the improvements then being passed upstream back to the open source project?

Very controversial article. It was posted multiple times on reddit where it got heavily criticized. Here are some threads I found ranged from most discussed to least.

(42 comments) https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/he87m5/the_truth_about_protonmail/

(19 comments) https://old.reddit.com/r/PrivacySecurityOSINT/comments/ol7gth/anyone_here_able_to_evaluate_the_truthfulness_of/

(17 comments) https://old.reddit.com/r/LinuxCafe/comments/hetbh8/the_truth_about_protonmail/

(3 comments) https://old.reddit.com/r/AntiMSM/comments/l8tsdr/protonmail_is_cia/

It was also submitted to HN but didn't gain much attention.

Related discussion on raddle, which was apparently forked from this 4chan thread

If you are using the Tor Browser Bundle and have set DuckDuckGoOnion as your default search engine, it still uses the v2 URL. It looks like they will switch this to the v3 onion once the v2 onion goes offline.

No problem.

I posted a rant about wireless earbuds recently. I never quite understood the appeal.

Both of their websites are Clownflared and both have cryptocurrency of some sort (Session uses the blockchain for messaging, Status allows sending transactions in a message), not everyone might like that, especially with Session, since you can't technically delete your message after sending...

Session

Status

The phone number requirement is a problem, but the fact that it's from USA is not. E-mail especially suffers from this.. How about those IM?

• Threema requires paying 3.99 CHF (3.69 EUR, 4.34 USD), but at least you can pay with Bitcoin (but not Monero).
• Wired can't be used with the Tor Browser because it blocks local storage, but maybe you can use Pale Moon with Proxy Privacy Ruler and the domain set to proxy through Tor? You can't pay for the Pro/Enterprise account with a cryptocurrency, but at least a phone number is not required in any case. It also doesn't use Clownflare, but I'm not sure about downtimes.
• Wickr has been acquired by Amazon, so that doesn't sound good... but at least Tor works, I think. I have no idea if you can pay with a cryptocurrency, though, but it's not required. It doesn't have Clownflare and it didn't go down since last 90 days.
• Jami is probably better to use over Tor, considering it's P2P, so your IP could be seen. There's no payment or personal data required. The website doesn't have Clownflare and there's no downtime because it's P2P.

Maybe I'd need to analyze these apps more (including paying for Threema, but who uses it?), but I think Jami would be the best from these.

The original is actually at Luke's Videos PeerTube instance, the Based PeerTube instance is simply playing the video from that instance, which is kind of annoying when using uMatrix, but at least youtube-dl still works, which is what matters the most.

As for the shutting down message, I have already prepared for it and saved metadata from all of its local videos I could find with the sitemap.xml (which looks like it only includes 1624 out of 1640 videos? Also, when downloading a deleted video, the description and the JSON info gets downloaded, the video doesn't, and the thumbnail does, but really it downloads the error about turned off JavaScript). I haven't downloaded the videos because I don't have 543.8 GB of storage left, only 177 GB, besides, the Internet Archive (where I want to upload the metadata) probably wouldn't like the videos.

I think that proposing XMPP as an alternative isn't bad if you tell people to enable OMEMO because I think pretty much every XMPP client allows it, even if it requires installing a plugin. But yes, even with that, there's a problem with lack of usage, same with VoIP, social, or other things like that, so obviously, good luck trying to escape the Boomerbook botnet or that Macroshit Tease thing.

Like with most things, it's friends, relatives and professional requirements.

When you need to do work for school or the Office from home, you more or less need to have the same programs. And even if there are alternatives, you most likely don't feel like learning how to use a different program for the same purpose all over again.

Also people still like to ask friends or relatives about their problems. When you don't already have a sophisticated Linux user in your circle, you are unlikely to even get the idea of using linux.

Also nowdays for the youth, more and more activites are online, also like gaming. It's not just about the gaming, but also about doing something with your friends(online). The proprietary Software used here is a stronger limiting factor here.

I would recommend an easy Linux Distro to my mother, since she doesn't use her computer much unless to browse, edit and print documents(which will be shared in printed form)

My father, while more techsavy, couldn't use Linux, due to all the proprietary software he is using professionally. Also since he allready knows his way around Windows, the differences would upset him. He wouldn't have enough patience to learn the different environment.

In conclusion, it's much easier to recommend (and get the person to learn it) Linux to an unsophisticated Computer user, rather than someone who already is used to handling his current OS. So at the root modern Schools, who often provide Windows and only Windows for free, are to blame for noone really using Linux.

I saw the IGN hands on, it doesn't look too bad. https://v2.incogtube.com/watch?v=oLtiRGTZvGM

Someone also 3D printed a mock up, it doesn't look too bad to hold. https://v2.incogtube.com/watch?v=JXj96a3TFOA

Use "Conversations" (via F Droid) on Android and use some random free XMPP Server to register at. As far as i've seen OMEMO is on by default. And the client is smooth and simple. Pretty much like Threema. You could obviously also host your own Server or even host it partially or entirely on i2p. Unfortunately most are now either stuck with Telegram or refuse to leave or use anything other than their Whatsapp in the first place.

The ability to create multiple accounts for free might win over some people to XMPP tho.

Too heavy and button placement looks very uncomfortable but I think if this succeeds it can be good for Linux

I think they need more development I tried Jami but it was too bad for me to use I am not in USA so I think Signal will do the trick for me but you got a point

Video shows this banner at the top so not sure if that is going to be there soon?

"Instance has been shadow banned and delisted from PeerTube network. Will be shutting down in shame shortly"

Actually proposing XMPP though as an alternative is just as bad, as by default XMPP does not have OMEMO or other E2EE on by default. Telegram is one of the few mainstream messengers though that does let you hide your phone number from all other users. My reality is that although I'm on many networks such as Threema, Wickr Me, XMPP, IRC, etc I only have one or two of my real life friends / family there...

Signal requires our phone numbers to register and is in the USA. Threema, Wired, Wickr Me, and Jami are probably better.

Basic no sjw or woke nonsense

Use Signal Instead

https://protonmail.com/blog/cryptographic-architecture-response/ https://eprint.iacr.org/2018/1121.pdf https://protonmail.com/blog/protonmail-has-raised-2m-usd-to-protect-online-privacy/ https://protonmail.com/privacy-policy https://protonmail.com/support/knowledge-base/protonmail-israel-radware/ https://cryptome.org/2015/11/protonmail-ddos.htm https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/06/protonmail-names-one-of-the-attackers-behind-a-major-ddos-this-summer

That does not look like the correct link to the source? It is posts about the Tor Project standing up with rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. Where is the reference to any paedophile community? They're standing up for pride and privacy, which is a good thing for freedoms.

Funnily enough many seem to just accept Windows has some shortcomings too, but if Linux is not 105% then it can't be used.

For example, Windows has some serious printing system security flaws right now, and my wife has given up printing on her Windows 10 machine to my HP printer on the LAN. Yes I've had some printing issues too when the drivers on Linux update, but the fact that she sends stuff to me to print, suggests that my Linux printing is actually still more reliable ;-)

It's true that many people just stick through thick and thin with what they know even if it is not working for them (no I didn't mean politics, but that is coming to mind for some reason now). Others love beta updates and trying something different. It is pretty well much the same with social media - those that feel trapped and moan about Facebook, and those that end up on Rambler and all sorts of other stuff (so how many Rambler users are in Windows and Facebook?).

So today it's really not the OS, it is human nature I suppose. I can keep a Linux machine running, but I can't paint a picture ;-)

Yep no-one can debate a topic properly without having checked the context of the source, and any other points they want to make. Quite a few myths have been debunked in the last few years too, especially when it comes to nutrition, for example, and yet the previous beliefs were so firmly held for decades.

Perhaps regional geo-blocking through a CDN like Cloudflare, or whoever it is they use. Just a guess.

Very illuminating. Great research. Time to leave ProtonMail I think. The immediate alternatives aren't that great.

Tutanota I've had massive problems with them in the past. I've actually lost accounts there because of their so called 2FA security, the Belgian company Mailfence appears to be security-oriented but it comes at a small nominal cost. What about Rise Up? that is if you can get an account there.