Remember when Signal was just for nerds like me?

I was at a coffee shop in Portland back in 2018 when this guy next to me saw me using Signal and asked if I was "hiding something." Now everyone and their mom uses it. Kinda wild seeing it go from a niche tool to something people actually care about. Makes me wonder if the whole "mainstream adoption ruins encryption" fear was overblown. Anyone else feel like the vibe changed once regular folks started using it?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivers281mo ago

Nah man, more users just means more targets for surveillance...

emeryfox1mo ago

Ran a small social platform for a couple years and had way fewer problems after we added better privacy settings and encryption. Gave people control over their data and most of the surveillance worries died down. More users can actually mean more pressure to improve security if the community demands it.

ericschmidt1mo ago

Hey, that's a really good point and I appreciate you sharing it. You actually put your finger on something that took me way too long to understand, honestly. When you give users real control over their own data, it changes the whole vibe of the platform from something that feels creepy to something that feels safe. It's like the difference between walking into a room where you know the cameras are on versus one where you know you can shut the blinds. And you're totally right about the community thing too, when people feel like they own their space they start speaking up about stuff that bugs them way more. That pressure from the userbase is honestly the best motivator for a company to actually fix things, way better than any regulation or threat of bad press.