> what are other apps like Briar?
It sounds similar to Scuttlebutt https://scuttlebutt.nz/
The off-the-grid approach is indeed something that makes Briar and scuttlebutt somewhat similar.
What sets them apart is scuttlebutt's special concept of how it works as a social network, dissimilar to Briar.
Re:Briar Desktop for Linux
by maverick74 on Friday January 21, 2022 @02:18PM
(#30028584)
There is also https://Berty.tech
There's some overlap with P2P Matrix (which isn't yet done but is in the works).
Difference is P2P isnt matrix's main goal. Their approach to P2P is to just bundle an entire homeserver on your phone or desktop client.
Briar was built for P2P from the ground up, so presumably they planned this better.
This isn't a criticism of matrix. Matrix is great and I use it everyday but gotta give credit where its due.
A lightweight homeserver. If lightweight enough (which remains to be demonstrated in practice of course), I don't see a meaningful difference from a monolith design.
I see no reason to think P2P isn't a goal of Matrix either; the reason it's not P2P now is that federation was easier, but the long-term game certainly looks to be P2P with work on cryptographic, portable identities and Bluetooth mesh networking in the form of Pinecone. I've also seen arathorn confirm this on HN.
Re:Briar Desktop for Linux
by maverick74 on Friday January 21, 2022 @02:27PM
(#30028717)
I'm very curios about p2p matrix as well because I hope it will bring privacy mainstream. The closest now is signal which is, at best, very far away from whatsapp.
I hope this will change with p2p matrix...
Jami comes to mind.
As well as Tox.
In that regard, what are other apps like Briar?
The premise is:
> Briar is a messaging app designed for activists, journalists, and anyone else who needs a safe, easy and robust way to communicate. Unlike traditional messaging apps, Briar doesn’t rely on a central server - messages are synchronized directly between the users' devices. If the internet’s down, Briar can sync via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, keeping the information flowing in a crisis. If the internet’s up, Briar can sync via the Tor network, protecting users and their relationships from surveillance