Is there a solution for people who want to use something like rcs but won't download Google Messages? I can't get everyone I know to switch to something like Signal and I won't use Google apps
this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2025
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What human being has sent an SMS message in the last decade? Obviously I'm being a bit facetious, but seriously I don't think I've sent a text since mobile internet stopped being pay-per-MB and the only ones I receive are automated.
My plan still is pay per MB (well maybe per GB). So yes, of course I use SMS. Besides, what alternative is there? No one has the same apps.
Wow, surprised anywhere still offers that. Is it normal for your country or just a particularly good deal for you?
what alternative is there? No one has the same apps
Use any of the alternatives depending on who you need to message. Most of the people I want to message are on Signal and I still have WhatsApp for the rest.
My Ting plan is about $30 per month, unlimited talk and text for 2 phones and including the first block of data we usually need. Data is billed combined at something like $5 per GB, so we really prefer to stay under 1GB which is the first block.
Yes, it is a good deal. Less than half what many people pay. I could afford to buy 10GB of data for the cost difference and that is often the limit on many "unlimited" plans.
Edit: Hence we keep our data off by default. To chat, someone would need to text me to meet on an app.
For some concerning reason; Fwy can't even find the YouTube version of this video without manually concatenating the video ID to the watch page of fwy's personal invidious instance. Please, make sure the video is searchable if it's intended to be live.
An invidious link; this one will take you to public instances so you can find one that's up and running.
https://redirect.invidious.io/watch?v=B9BWXvn-rB4
Fwy's own instance, unfortunately, isn't public; it's only shared with fwyfwy housemates on a VPN solution.
Yes, the link on the site has a typo at the end: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9BWXvn-rB4s. Seems like YouTube will correct it automatically though, which is probably why it wasn't caught.
(Besides, if you don't want to use YT, why not go with the PeerTube one?)
Folks, it being hard to get people to switch from SMS to a more secure messaging platform is not a critique of the video.
Everyone knows its hard, its why videos like this that explain the benefits in simple terms is a useful tool.
Tell banks that still use it as MFA that
Yeah sure, just tell that to literally everyone I know.
Oh and while you're at it, tell them not to use any of the most popular chat apps like WhatsApp, Telegram or iMessage.
Just get them on a friends and family plan on IKmsngr.tx it's much cheaper than any phone plan and you can get an extension for calls including video calls as well.
The website has the app, you need to sideload it but it's very easy. The voice and video extension is on github, linked in the IK Msngr FAQ.
I know some have concerns about iMessage, should Apple go complete evil…but I wouldn’t say it’s in the same league as the other two.
My only concern is that you can't use it without licking Apple's boots.
The alternative being to lick Google's boots?
...no, the alternative is to use any of hundreds of other chat apps that aren't locked to specific hardware.
And don't forget that when those apps eventually die, or the company behind them goes sour, you have to switch EVERYTHING again, and hope that everyone you know does, too.
This has NEVER been an issue with SMS. So for all the bad, it does one thing really well: convenience.
As much as I'd love to move to a secure message platform, this definitely falls into the "more trouble than it's worth" category, and that's disappointing.
In many cases those apps are not necessarily tied to any specific service. That's why many prefer federated FOSS services.
I mean, Signal (the messenger that Privacy Guides recommends) only works with Signal, right? And if I recall, it was difficult or not even possible to back up your texts from one device to another.
SMS, especially for anyone who isn't tech-savvy in the least, "just works" without any setup.
How do you convince people to move away from that?
I'm not saying we shouldn't, I'm saying it doesn't appeal to the majority of people.
Signal...only works with Signal, right?
Yes, that is one of many potential alternatives. Many others can be run on a variety of servers, with a variety of apps.
SMS..."just works" without any setup.
Sure, but most people these days are expected to have email, and signing up isn't any more complicated than that. It's not that hard.
How do you convince people to move away from that?
You send them the video in OP. Or try to send them literally any video via SMS. Someone sent me a video of their kids singing happy birthday for me. It was a really beautiful moment lived through the lens of a potato.
Many others can be run on a variety of servers, with a variety of apps.
Yes,but smaller market share means less optimistic future, or not enough incentive to continue the project, or harder to convince someone to use it.
Sure, but most people these days are expected to have email, and signing up isn't any more complicated than that. It's not that hard.
Signing up isn't the hurdle... Convincing someone they should install a second app for messaging when nobody they know uses it would be a bigger challenge.
Google and Apple teaming up would effectively eliminate basic SMS, but that likely wouldn't solve issues like privacy or data ownership.
You send them the video in OP. Or try to send them literally any video via SMS.
Dude, I went on a mission to convince the people I know to move away from corporately owned email and to use a private provider. It was excrutitingly difficult, and I don't think a single person switched.
Family would constantly "not get it" and continued to email my old email address, too, like they thought this was a phase. lol. It was insane.
Personally, I find switching messenger providers to be more difficult than email, so I'm not hopeful that someone would convert without having some strong motivations first.
Yes,but smaller market share means less optimistic future
Optimism in terms of user adoption? Sure. But these are your choices. I understand your apprehension. You can choose the "easy" button and let the corpos continue to silently abuse you, and be complicit in their abuse of others, or you can take a few minutes to learn something new and convince others to do the same, and try to be part of the solution.
continued to email my old email address, too
Yep, people did that to me too. I deleted the old email address. Their IG and FB messages also stay on unread. Some of them I even blocked. When their emails bounced and I didn't give them a new one, they logged into Signal and started messaging me there. When my Dad would forward me whatever new business scams he would come across, I would ask my Mom to ask him to send them over Signal and then I would entertain his delusions.
Personally, I find switching messenger providers to be more difficult than email
Depends on which one, but I will respectfully disagree.
It's time to add a descriptive text to video posts, here's why: