Safe Instant Messaging

[Michael Butash]

I won't use skype for the same reason.  I'd held off for x years they've 
existed, and was going to make one finally as a client used it for 
official and non im, but soon as microsoft bought them, I wrote them off.

Microsoft will not say no if the government tells them to (antitrust, 
anyone?).  Blackberry did this in india actually making the news forced 
to give up access to a foreign government, but no news here as they 
already do.  They'll have your cell or wired isp give up raw bitstreams 
of your traffic with or without a subpoena if they're that interested.

I suggest getting Pidgin+OTR for win or linux for IM.  Mac has adium 
that supports it.  Hardest part is getting others to use pidgin or 
something with OTR capability.

Pidgin also supports ssl encryption, but it's hard enough getting folks 
to install otr let alone getting them to deal with pki...

Why every im client doesn't offer OTR or compatible is beyond me 
(actually I know why, but it depresses me), then again I've had some of 
the yougin' engineers I've worked with look at me like I had four heads 
when I asked him if he had aim or yahoo.  Of course that look got worse 
when he asked what my facebook was and I told him I didn't have one.

Guess we're getting old still using legacy IM tech, my low number icq 
uin isn't cool anymore.

-mb


On 03/15/2013 02:38 PM, Nathan England wrote:
>
> Hello All,
>
> I have been a long time user of Skype, but naturally grew fearful when
> Microsoft took over, and assumed there was a security risk because the
> service was growing large. Now it appears Microsoft really has developed
> a back-door into the system and the Russian government has been
> watching... Which only leads me to believe if they were doing it, so was
> our government.
>
> Which all leads me to the question: what can we use for instant
> messaging that is safe for us from a privacy stand point, and secure
> enough to possibly use for employment purposes?
>
> I appreciate your thoughts!
>