Drew DeVaultMay 7, 2020

Zoom acquired Keybase today.

Keybase helped me to identify a trend in the software industry: using a pretty UI to cover up the disruption of an open ecosystem with a closed, centralized replacement. Keybase seemed cool on the face of it - making encryption easier is a laudible goal, and PGP certainly could use the improvement. But, thanks to Keybase, now I ask different questions upfront.

Beware the Keybase formula:

1. Integrates with an existing, open ecosystem
2. May have open-source clients, but server is closed source and does not federate
3. Pretty UI and good marketing
4. VC funded

Show threadrugkMay 7, 2020
@sir cough cough #Wire
Show threadmrs panina
@rugk @sir when you mention it, wire has been giving me the same kinds of creeps...
May 7, 2020 at 9:26pmWeb
Show threadStrypeyJun 23, 2020
@panina I abandoned #Wire because it got blocked in China and my VPN service became so unreliable it was effectively useless. But when #PTIO delisted them for setting up a US shell company to receive money from venture capitalists, and I saw them deprioritize work on federation, that was the final nail. Using Riot now and pretty happy with it. It bothers me that New Vector are hoovering up venture capital, but at least Matrix is a federated system with a documented protocol.
@rugk @sir