Re: [lp-ca-on] article related to federation from Open Whisper Systems

[Allan Zhang]

On 2016-05-10 06:10 PM, Bob Jonkman wrote:
> https://github.com/LibreSignal/LibreSignal/issues/37

> I find it interesting that Moxie Marlinspike can be so wrong and so
> right at the same time. Completely wrong about the value of freely
> available code and federation, yet completely right about letting
> others use that code without any other obligation on his part (ie. not
> hosting non-Signal clients on his servers, and not being obligated to
> install federation in his software).

On 2016-05-10 08:05 PM, Matt Lee wrote:
> He has released Signal on both iOS and Android and it works well, but
> it uses Google's APIs. There's a free software alternative GsmCore,
> which works well for technical users who want to have a 100% free
> phone.

Using Signal without Google Play Services (i.e. with GsmCore) requires
root and adb sideload, which is not always an option.
>
> Why should OWS be responsible to run servers for non-OWS software?
The issue is not about expecting OWS to host servers for others' forked
app, but rather, circumventing the requirement of GCM.

Bob and Matt, you both discuss OWS' obligation. Regarding which, I must
note that OWS is not a private company that gifted its work in
GPL-wrapping paper to the community.

OWS is a non-profit funded by grants and donations, with "Open" in its
name. I wonder how much of that free money was to develop a truly open
and secure messaging protocol.
As if resources spent such protocols haven't been fragmented enough
already, it's a shame OWS does not appear to be committed to that goal.

Regarding federation: Moxie says that it was either between growth via
phone numbers or federal identifiers.
Why is there a choice at all? You can have both. WeChat uses both phone
numbers and usernames.

Regarding GCM: A Signal build with LibreSignal is GPL, and only to
circumvent GCM for security or necessity. However, OWS is against Signal
builds with LibreSignal using their servers.
Even MSN had their cat-and-mouse game with Pidgin. I don't think many of
us had an issue with Pidgin "piggybacking" our MSN accounts on MSN
servers; it was one of the only ways to use MSN on Linux.

At first, I thought that GCM is for practicality, an effective way to
provide push. But it's keeping Signal from F-Droid, and with OWS even
keeping LibreSignal from F-Droid, promoting GCM and Signal on Desktop (a
Chrome webapp).. Signal is GPL but is it really open?

Moxie is clearly about growth/adoption. Albeit a very specific kind:
growth of their Signal app build, on their servers, with Google Cloud
Messaging.. and their Chrome webapp.. all others need not apply.

It's a shame that OWS/Signal does not appear to be that
shining-beacon-of-free that some of us thought it would be.

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