Maybe (though it's vague enough to mean anything), but it's definitely of the Musk does it, you can too variety.
Those alternatives never went anywhere for the past 14 years. Musk is late to the game, what's his wiki prove?
The "I've got new respect for Musk" mantra (actually stated in this thread) when he's doing what other people have been doing for a decade, only difference is, he's rich, is very follow the crowd for something which prides itself on individuality like HN.
I think that the message ModernMech is trying to convey is the following:
-if you want to read the news for Tesla, go to their website
-you don't need to be spied on 24/7 and having that "intelligence" coming back to bite you
-you don't need a constant spy to follow you around to any page with a "like" button
-you don't need to waste 60mins in cat videos and party photos on a party you were not invited, if your actual need to see the news about the new Tesla XYZ car
Secure Scuttlebutt is pretty amazing. I've seen a few demos of people who run a private social network app, Patchwork. Definitely something to look out for.
Signal advantages: tptacek thinks the crypto is good.
Signal disadvantage: It wont work with limited permissions on your phone according to some people on HN.
Telegram advantage: somewhat more userfriendly. Larger userbase. Works even if you limit its permissions.
Telegram disadvantage: every cryptographer seems to think their crypto is bad. Uncertainty wrt their relations with Russian government. (I think they are enemies but some think they are very good friends or blackmailed into cooperation.)
Imho threema is the best client overall. Very fast, very reliable, great UI, good crypto. Designed for company usage. Security whise however I guess Signal has the upper hand.
Instead, we should first model what the future of social networking should look like:
https://hackernoon.com/a-new-kind-of-social-network-emotiona...
Then I am curious to hear people's thoughts on:
- Mastodon
- Secure Scuttlebutt
- Steemit
etc.