Post by @Randelung@lemmy.world

2026-04-01 11:14 UTC

No-one deserves your donations, but that sounds like you're letting perfect get in the way of good. There are tons of things that speak for Signal. They made the whisper protocol and they consistently protect privacy where they can. I've used it for years (meaning I've actively generated costs for them without any revenue), and that qualifies as good for me.

Replies (2)

@kchr@lemmy.sdf.org 2026-04-02 11:16

There is no such thing as the Whisper protocol, AFAIK. Signal uses the [_Signal_ protocol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_Protocol#Properties%3Fwprov=sfla1), formerly known as _TextSecure_ due to Signal being a merge of the earlier (proprietary) projects _[TextSecure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TextSecure?wprov=sfla1)_ for encrypted messaging and _RedPhone_ for encrypted voice calls. The two projects were initially started by Whisper Systems, co-founded by Moxie Marlinspike and Stuart Anderson. The name of this company may be the cause of confusion, but the protocol has to my knowledge never been called anything else than TextSecure and subsequently Signal. Whisper Systems was acqui-hired by Twitter who then open-sourced both projects under the GPL license, after which the _Open Whisper Systems_ organization was created by Moxie to continue development on what later got merged into the Signal project as we see it today. The protocol uses the _[Double Ratchet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Ratchet_Algorithm?wprov=sfla1)_ algorithm (a.k.a. _Axolotl Ratchet_) for cryptographic key exchange, invented specifically for secure messaging and use in Signal (although naturally open source and applicable for oher use cases too). Wikipedia (understandably) has a nice timeline over the various projects: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File%3ASignal_timeline.svg End of nerd snipe transmission, over and out. :-)

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@onlinepersona@programming.dev 2026-04-01 12:45

I donate at least 1k a year to opensource. There is no shortage of good opensource projects deserving donations; good in the sense of quality and those that fit into my worldview. I'm a fierce believer in remunerating opensource and of way stronger political opinions. What I won't donate to, is this idea that the US is the only place on the planet where skilled workers exist that can do this type of work. Orgs believing in US execeptionalism are great. Go be exceptional, just without my money. They won't miss it.

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