Can we devote some time to discussing Slack? As in, why are we all sending our every thought to a centralized server that can be hacked, and can can train AI with them? And why is Slack allowed to store transcripts but I can't?
My union uses Slack for organizing. How crazy is it that an organization in the cross hairs of a dangerous and emboldened government would do this? With everything going on right now, I'd love to be more active in the union, but must I really give up so much to this opaque platform?
Is anyone else struggling with these concerns? Do you know of viable Slack alternatives? Are there any hacks that make Slack less of a privacy invasion or make LLM training harder? Are there at least ways for me to save sessions the way I can with IRC? How do I resist Slack and not lose touch with groups that still use it?
Please boost for reach.
My union uses Slack for organizing. How crazy is it that an organization in the cross hairs of a dangerous and emboldened government would do this? With everything going on right now, I'd love to be more active in the union, but must I really give up so much to this opaque platform?
Is anyone else struggling with these concerns? Do you know of viable Slack alternatives? Are there any hacks that make Slack less of a privacy invasion or make LLM training harder? Are there at least ways for me to save sessions the way I can with IRC? How do I resist Slack and not lose touch with groups that still use it?
Please boost for reach.
Dan Goodin •
One of the first steps I, as a journalist intent on fulfilling my ethical responsibilities, have to take is to figure out: how do I communicate securely? This is a problem vexes not just journalists, though. It's shared with anyone who wants to mount meaningful resistance to the frightening events unfolding each day. A viable solution can only be delivered by many people high above my pay grade level.
Signal is so awesome for so many things. I no longer take meetings on Zoom, Citrix, or Teams. The recently released Signal call links feature provides a much more secure alternative that's as easy to use as anything else.
Unfortunately, monopoly platforms like iCloud, Google cloud, and Slack aren't nearly as easy for most of us to replace. I have completely lost touch with my union and local because they communicate almost exclusively over Slack, a platform that can be hacked, subpoenaed or can use my interactions to train AI. It seems absolutely bonkers that organizations as vulnerable as these are trusting this platform, but what real alternative do they have?
The only solution I can envision will come from the contributions of people not working for profit, but out of dedication to privacy and equity. The two best examples I can think of are the Signal Foundation or Tor Project.
As I said, things are bleak and are only going to get worse in the coming weeks and months. I don't see how we mount a meaningful resistance without solving this fundamental problem first. I'd love to hear thoughts from people with more experience building these sorts of platforms.
Dan Goodin •
Neal Walfield •
Dan Goodin •
stephen •
Yes, signal problems too. It is still better.
@nwalfield @delta
Delta Chat •
- Message-date,
- Sender/Recipients (*),
- the size of the message.
(*) Newly onboarding #chatmail users get random e-mail addresses so Sender and Recipients do not tell you anything about the (passport) identity behind it.
mountain •