The topic has already been raised by @dirvine, who suggested testing SimpleX Chat to see if it meets Safe principles and could become a Safe communicator, while giving us access to more users. However, I have opened a separate thread for an in-depth discussion on the possibility of creating a new communication standard based on Autonomi and the Simplex platform, which could create a lot of added value and become a strong link to drive the development of the network.
The excellent development strategy that MaidSafe is following will allow us to test and acquire more and more data, a growing number of users and thus achieve organic growth, but I have been thinking for a long time that in order to achieve a certain position in the global net and acquire a massive number of users, a unique solution (application) is needed that will be as unique as Safe and will become a locomotive for growth and at the same time a tool for education in the autonomous network.
Therefore, I think it is worth analysing the changes in the mainstream market that are looming on the horizon - I am referring to the trend that will strengthen the role of VOIP-based phone calls instead of the current GSM technology. The development of the Wi-Fi standard, 5G Internet and 6G trials, and in particular WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology in sparsely populated areas, suggest that the focus will shift to Internet telephony in the broadest sense. With this in mind, we can assume that the emergence of the autonomous network will enable, among other things, the creation of a new communication system that could eventually replace the current GSM/E-mail/Internet communication standard.
I can imagine a phone without a number, an instant messenger without an ID, an email without an address and much more - all in one and free of charge - but not for free. This is probably a very ambitious task, but not without a chance of being achieved, as we have many possibilities and tools.
However, I will start with the information I have gathered and the SimpleX chat tests I did in December/January and April/May after the introduction of the new and improved features, which I hope will also answer some of Davidās expectations of the SimpleX technology.
Special features of SimpleX Chat:
- The developer does not collect any data from the application (so he does not know the number of users, connection information, and the application does not ask for access to data, multimedia, etc.),
- The platform has no user IDs, not even random ones, which maintains a high level of privacy and protects the connection graph,
- Messages are encrypted using e2e two-layer encryption, including the Double Latch Algorithm, and cached on relay servers until received, after which they are permanently deleted,
- Message delivery uses anonymous addresses in pairs and one-way message queues, separate for received and sent messages, usually via different servers - this works like having multiple disposable email addresses and a separate phone for each contact,
- All data packets sent are padded with fake data to prevent packet size analysis by ISPs or malicious servers,
- Messages are mixed through relay servers to prevent time analysis by ISPs or malicious intermediaries,
- The lack of an identifier prevents the user from being contacted unless they provide a one-time or temporary user address in the form of a QR code or link, this protects against spam and misuse,
- Stores all data only on client devices in a database format encrypted with a random symmetric key that can be transferred to any device,
- The ability to create multiple different chat profiles and easily switch between them, as well as create an āincognitoā profile (which works similarly to having multiple identities on the Autonomi network),
- The ability to create secret groups (decentralised, undetectable group chats) providing privacy for a small number of users but not recommended for large groups,
- chat allows the transmission of encrypted data and e2e communications in the form of:
- editable messages,
- pictures, video and files,
- audio and video calls,
- voice messages,
- disappearing messages,
- live chat (the recipient sees the written content in real time),
- The Simplex network is completely decentralised and based on so-called ādumb serversā: own and user-owned, and uses the open Simplex Messaging Protocol - SMP (which makes the architecture similar to the Autonomi),
- Runs on multiple platforms:
- Android, IOS,
- Linux, Windows, MacOS
- on terminals for Linux, Windows, MacOS and Termux for Android,
- The ability to connect to SMP servers via TOR using the Orbot application,
- The application has been externally audited by Trail of Bits in November 2022, and is scheduled to be re-audited in November this year with double the scope of the previous audit,
- Written in Haskell (not Rust, unfortunately),
- Extensive documentation in several languages.
Key findings from the SimpleX chat test:
- The weakest side of the application is the support - answers to problem reports or questions took at least 2-3 days or even a week, some were not answered at all despite repeated requests, others were answered the same way twice, some answers were partially ignored or not noticed, many bugs, including significant ones, remain unanswered to this day, answers sent by email have not been received despite several requests,
- The biggest problem is with the desktop versions, which still do not work properly despite the release in 09.2023, and the screenshots and error information sent remain unanswered, the team provides a support group, but here too there is a lack of help and interest in solving the problems,
- This is probably not intentional, and the developer admits that he is sometimes overworked and cannot control the problems, but the great diligence of the team must be acknowledged (I infer this from the nightly messaging hours, even on days off, and from the speed of changes and fixes),
- New features often appear, but the basic ones still do not work, which may be the result of excessive ambition on the part of the team; this results in a poor user experience and, combined with poor support, may be the cause of a lack of interest in the application and a lack of recommendations to other users,
- Applications from different platforms, e.g. Android downloaded from different stores, are not compatible (an application downloaded from Google Play cannot be updated by downloading from GiHub), the same is true for versions, e.g. an application of version 5.6 on Windows cannot connect to an Android application of version 5.7,
- Installation and connection tests of the different platforms showed that:
- Android / Android ā problem with reverberation in audio connection but only one way (still not fixed), problems with uploading some files e.g. a photo in jpg uploads without problems and another photo uploads as a file that you have to save to disk to open,
- Android / Windows ā problems installing application on desktop (QR code not generated), still not working database connection in Android with application in Windows with numerous messages about view errors, connection errors and connection time exceeded when scanning QR code, Windows version with own database works but all functionalities have huge delay of 5-10 sec,
- Android / Linux ā problems connecting the database in Android with the application in Linux,
- Windows / Linux ā same problems in Windows as in Android / Win connection, problems with docx file transfer,
- Android / IOS ā problems transferring some files the same as in Android / Win,
- Application does not shut down and runs in the background all the time,
- Number of issues reported on GitHub 452.
SimpleX Chat currently offers a high level of privacy and security of communication, although it is still in a very early stage of development, the very large scope of work undertaken with limited resources means that there are numerous problems with the operation of the basic functionalities, but the level of sophistication of the project already positions it among the best communicators and is very well received by users.
IMHO, compared to many other communicators, both the protocol and the Simplex application are very distinctive in their native approach to achieving maximum privacy and security of communications, they aim for unique functionality and plan further custom solutions, which makes them a natural partner for the Safe network, and some similarities in assumptions could help create a high value added application that could provide much more - full anonymity of connections and stored data.
I wonder if the connection of Safe nodes to the Simplex server network could be combined in this way:
- Autonomy and Simplex users running x active nodes:
- could use the connections through a common application (Simplex is open source) without a network fee (which is why I wrote earlier that it is free of charge, but not free),
- and store chats, files, multimedia, etc. they deem relevant on the network for a fee,
- In the future, once the NRS/DNS standard has been developed and a ānew e-mailā based on an autonomous network rather than a
timestamp*has been defined, the aforementioned users:- could store certain data as e-mail (official, unofficial and custom) on the network for a fee,
- Aliceās agreement to route calls through her own active nodes for free would mean that Alice would be able to use calls through Bobās and other usersā nodes for free,
- Users who only run the client on the Autonomi network:
- could use connections in the application for a network fee,
- and store data deemed relevant and, in the future, emails on the Safe network for a fee,
- Simplex chat users:
- would use the application for free (as before),
- would not be able to store data on the network for obvious reasons,
- All users of the application would be able to store data on the client device for free (as Simplex chat currently does),
- In the future I see a built-in AI assistant (via David) to help manage communications and messages and much moreā¦
timestamp* Current email works with mail servers where incoming and outgoing messages are stored and each message has a date and time it was stored on the server (timestamp), in an autonomous network that does not use the concept of time, incoming and outgoing messages are stored without the intermediary of third parties and the integrity of the data (messages) is guaranteed by digitally signed authorisations according to the network rules.
Benefits for Autonomi:
- The network can attract many new users who have an incentive to create and keep new nodes online,
- New users can increase the bandwidth and the amount of data stored on the network and contribute to its uptake,
- the network can gain a very advanced application that enables secure and private communication,
- Secure users gain the ability to store temporary messages and āgossipā in an encrypted manner on their own device, saving network tokens for storing important data.
Benefits for Simplex:
- Users gain the ability to store important data forever on the Autonomi network and earn network tokenomics,
- The application gains the ability to use a network protocol whose activity cannot be technically stopped or blocked by legal action,
- the application may gain new users, new technological capabilities and the substantial support of many advanced members of the Safe community.
This thread was due to be published a few days ago, but - after years of believing that once a userās IP is connected to the Safe network it is permanently hidden - just before publication I came across Davidās post which shattered my key assumption, and two days later in the published docs.autonomi.com there was a change to Network Fundamentals p. 11 which now reads āObfuscate IP addresses as far as the underlying technology allowsā - meaning that one of the more important problems to overcome will be finding a way to systematically hide IPs at the network level.
So you have to be aware that this is unfortunately a task for the developers as MaidSafe has to concentrate on network deployment and we can only rely on their advice and technical support here, but using what the Simplex team has already created combined with Autonomiās unique technology could help us move in the right direction.
Of course correct me if Iāve written nonsense and Iām hoping for some in-depth analysis / brainstorming and key conclusions, any feedback would be valuable.
Related topics:
Messaging layer for SAFE and beyond?
SafeNet needs a completely new communication protocol
No Safe, no wave.
