Not directly plural marriage related, but a practical issue that many of us face in our day-to-day lives.
Sarah and I talk frequently by instant messaging between our phones, so we always want a reliable and convenient way to do so. I've been looking for a decent option for years, have worked with various methods that were acceptable but had problems, and finally we've got a solution that is perfect - Signal private messenger (Android and iPhone).
I post this here because so many people are relying on Facebook to send messages these days. And Facebook has just de-activated chat on their mobile website, forcing everyone to install Facebook Messenger in order to use chat on mobiles. Both Facebook apps (the main one and Messenger) are pure spyware, collecting massive amounts of info about users for commercial gain, and chewing through battery and data on your phone too. I won't install either on my phone (I've got Messenger installed on Sarah's because her extended family use it, but only in a manner that locks down most of the permissions so that Facebook can't get as much info from it). I suspect that Facebook's move might mean some other people are looking for an alternative right now also.
The main attraction of Signal is that it isn't yet another app. It is a replacement for the default sms app on the phone. And there's no need to have yet another username, it just uses your phone number. Open the one app, send a text message to anyone on your contacts list. If they don't have Signal it sends them an sms, if they do have Signal it sends an instant message. Or you can manually pick which. Incredibly convenient, you don't even have to think about it.
And it's so heavily encrypted it is endorsed by Edward Snowden. It also includes encrypted voice calling. It has almost nil metadata collection, and is open-source and has been independently reviewed to verify it truly is secure. I strongly feel that over time it will become increasingly important for Christians, especially conservatives with controversial views such as plural marriage, to be communicating in a way that is secure from eavesdroppers (private or government). Best to start today and just make it part of our daily lives, so it's a habit. Particularly when an app like Signal makes it so easy to be secure.
By contrast, Facebook can read the entire content of your "private" Facebook messages, and can provide them to government agencies. The same goes for Google Hangouts. WhatsApp (owned by Facebook) and Google Allo encrypt the content of messages only, but still record exactly who you are communicating with, when, how frequently etc, which in itself is very compromising information. Signal has no access to content, and the server only records the timestamp of the last time you used the service, so it's impossible for the company to give any information to anyone even with a warrant. Here is a good comparison.
Ok, this sounded like an advertisement. I'm not being paid by anyone, and Signal is a not-for-profit organisation supported by grants. Just sharing because we're finding it brilliant and I figured others may find it useful also.
If you want to contact me on Signal, and don't know my phone number, send me a private message / conversation.
Sarah and I talk frequently by instant messaging between our phones, so we always want a reliable and convenient way to do so. I've been looking for a decent option for years, have worked with various methods that were acceptable but had problems, and finally we've got a solution that is perfect - Signal private messenger (Android and iPhone).
I post this here because so many people are relying on Facebook to send messages these days. And Facebook has just de-activated chat on their mobile website, forcing everyone to install Facebook Messenger in order to use chat on mobiles. Both Facebook apps (the main one and Messenger) are pure spyware, collecting massive amounts of info about users for commercial gain, and chewing through battery and data on your phone too. I won't install either on my phone (I've got Messenger installed on Sarah's because her extended family use it, but only in a manner that locks down most of the permissions so that Facebook can't get as much info from it). I suspect that Facebook's move might mean some other people are looking for an alternative right now also.
The main attraction of Signal is that it isn't yet another app. It is a replacement for the default sms app on the phone. And there's no need to have yet another username, it just uses your phone number. Open the one app, send a text message to anyone on your contacts list. If they don't have Signal it sends them an sms, if they do have Signal it sends an instant message. Or you can manually pick which. Incredibly convenient, you don't even have to think about it.
And it's so heavily encrypted it is endorsed by Edward Snowden. It also includes encrypted voice calling. It has almost nil metadata collection, and is open-source and has been independently reviewed to verify it truly is secure. I strongly feel that over time it will become increasingly important for Christians, especially conservatives with controversial views such as plural marriage, to be communicating in a way that is secure from eavesdroppers (private or government). Best to start today and just make it part of our daily lives, so it's a habit. Particularly when an app like Signal makes it so easy to be secure.
By contrast, Facebook can read the entire content of your "private" Facebook messages, and can provide them to government agencies. The same goes for Google Hangouts. WhatsApp (owned by Facebook) and Google Allo encrypt the content of messages only, but still record exactly who you are communicating with, when, how frequently etc, which in itself is very compromising information. Signal has no access to content, and the server only records the timestamp of the last time you used the service, so it's impossible for the company to give any information to anyone even with a warrant. Here is a good comparison.
Ok, this sounded like an advertisement. I'm not being paid by anyone, and Signal is a not-for-profit organisation supported by grants. Just sharing because we're finding it brilliant and I figured others may find it useful also.
If you want to contact me on Signal, and don't know my phone number, send me a private message / conversation.
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