Hey guys few days ago Jack Dorsey released a new kind of messaging system that works without internet, sim card, decentralized, called Bitchat.
What you think? Is going to be the future? Better than whatsapp? Will it revolutionise the way to send messages or will be a flop?
That's not an entirely new concept. Off-grid radios already exists https://www.youtube.com/@GeerlingEngineering/search?query=me…
Meshtastic is also a node-based, peer to peer communication protocol. and unlike bluetooth which is very short range, the other concepts use long range radio which can go up to 331KM with specialized hardware.
Not to mention Jack Dorsey hasn't said anything about how secure it actually is
Yep, this stuff has been around for ages. Jack has invented it in the same way apple invented USB c.
Well, USB-C was designed by the USB Implementers Forum whom Apple are a member of, and have great input.
Yeah, but Apple being a “member” means (fropanity) all. It’s like saying the lady who answers phones at the front desk helped pioneer space rockets simply because she was an employee.
I’m not saying Apple didn’t have any input, just that being a “member” of something doesn’t automatically mean you have a claim to an invention.
@topherboi: My initial post was a joke. They implement a "feature" that has been used for years elsewhere, give it a dumb name and claim it's new. Same as this jack guy.
@pegaxs: https://applescoop.org/story/apples-long-journey-to-usb-c-wh…
USB-C, a now ubiquitous standard, was co-developed by Apple in 2014 alongside other major tech players like Intel. According to the USB Implementers Forum, Apple was one of the top contributors to the USB-C project, trailing only Intel, Japan Aviation Electronics, and Tyco Electronics in terms of engineering resources dedicated to its development.
Do go off, though
I think this will be useful in adverse conditions. Power blackouts, natural disasters etc.
Meshtastic and similar are nice, but everyone already has a phone with Bluetooth, so it becomes a software only solution.
Bitch at, an app for Karens
Bring back mirc and the rooms full of hundreds of strangers having an innocent chat. ASL?
40 M SYD
next we will rediscover numbers stations
Jack Dorsey was never a good CEO at Twitter so I'm not too worried about him making anything out of this app either.
So… he found a wheel, stamped his name on it and called it… a wheel?
These kind of “off grid” messaging systems have existed for years. When I was your age, we called these “pagers”. (Wooo that’s going to make some people all “well akshully” with me.)
I have been playing with Meshtastic for about 2 years. Have been looking for a way to use these as long range tracking and telemetry systems for mining equipment. These units are router less, network less, very long range glorified messenger senders.
This BitChat “mesh” network relies on “Bluetooth” that has a range of about 30m or so in open air. You would need a shit load of people connected on the “mesh” network to get any significant range. My Meshtastic home node picks up other nodes from towns 20~30km away. At best, Mr Dorsey has made an app for people to chat over who are basically in yelling distance.
Mr Dorsey hasn’t invented shit, it’s just another off grid messenger service competitor, and a piss poor one at that. Will it take over… not likely. The only time this will take over is if it is implemented at a OS level by Android or Apple like the “find my” network is with things like Air Tags.
with things like Air Tags
It could piggy back on existing far reach mesh networks like Amazon Sidewalk and the Internet of Bodies
Yeah, but as far as I am aware, things like Sidewalk still use the internet to transfer data between devices, where the "Sidewalk" enabled devices act more like a "gateway" than a "repeater", but I agree, these kinds of devices could be used to expand these kinds of "mesh" networks though.
The easier way for these bluetooth "mesh" networks to become a thing is if it is baked into the OS of phones. They are almost in everyone's pockets and are mobile, unlike a fixed Amazon Echo that is stationary. The problem is the number of "hops" that a message is required to go through if the recipient is a long way away. A mesh network works by just pinging every node with the same message and those nodes repeating it, so pretty soon, the network would be clogged and the radio spectrum would just be full of useless "repeated" messages.
In a small group organising a march down town to protest and they dont want police snooping on internet chatter, not bad, but as a replacement message service to send to your friend 8km away at work, yeah, nah, better "off grid" alternatives out there for doing that.
Is it for Karen’s?
No, but it's also not designed to replace the messaging functionality or coverage (ie the planet) that these support.