Ask HN: How do you convince people to use privacy respecting technologies

I just submitted talk proposals for FOSDEM. It goes beyond my usual ramblings on what privacy foss tools we must use and it covers the "how" to convince people to start using them.

If you have encouraged someone to switch to say Signal, or Sessions, or XMPP or some other tool/protocol, please share here.

I need as much success stories as possible.

----- Anonymity is guaranteed if requested, you can use my Sessions messenger session: 0531634331f5b6be12375bf4229412eed3f2f3543cfe119df37e1b72c883143d4a

11 points | by bogomil 8 hours ago

3 comments

  • firefax 2 hours ago
    Do you have a Signal username? I hate dealing with PGP.

    (That's how I've gotten a lot of folks on Signal: "It's like PGP, but usable." The phone number thing was a hangup for a while but with the usernames feature, that's gone.)

  • Bender 7 hours ago
    Not so much switch, but rather "fall back to" a self hosted instance of uMurmur, IRC, etc... when Discord is down or if the topic is too sensitive for a shared corporate platform. People will stay were their friends are. Having a fall-back solution that gives them more privacy or a way to remain in contact when their primary means are down can be useful at times.

    How vigilant people are about privacy will vary greatly by generation and by group interests.

    [-]
    • bogomil 7 hours ago
      So in this case the trigger is the system is down and we need to understand how do we keep doing what we do as a group. But then when the main system is back, how do we keep them into the new one?
      [-]
      • Bender 7 hours ago
        how do we keep them into the new one?

        This goes back to the variation by generation and group interests. People that already feel oppressed by the main platform may likely stay on the one you provided them, otherwise most will go back to whatever they and their friends liked about their main platform. Unless these people are your employees it is unlikely you would be deciding where they go. Even in that case employees will do what they can do.

        Ask these people what they like about the platform they are on and decide if you can replicate or enhance that experience. If you can, show them and they will decide if what you created is something they would prefer.

  • bogomil 8 hours ago
    Since I can't edit, I want to mention that I will give you the credit while presenting (if you wish of course). Thank you!