mikaela.github.io/_posts/2016-09-29-why-not-telegram.md

---
layout: post
comments: true
title: "Why not Telegram or why I left it"
category: [english]
tags: [english, Telegram, feminism]
---

*You might have read my post on [why I use Telegram] or something else
 about Telegram I have typed, so I guess I must also blog about why I
 left.*

[why I use Telegram]:{% post_url 2016-05-21-why-telegram %}

* *Communication* - you might have seen [Telegram tweets] and how there
  is only one tweet which they ever replied to. However they never
  implemented any way to limit who can start those secret chats (that are
  [insecure] by the way).
    * *Changelogs* - when I write this, Telegram Desktop changelog lags
      month behind the releases which there have been at least three.
* *Twisted version of FOSS* - They claim to be *Free Open Source Software*,
  but they never released the source of the server side software and
  they always release the source code long time after the client has
  been released, even if I know Android does this too. The third party
  clients suffer from the same issue, they say their code is stolen
  to paid projects and thus they just stop releasing the code. As a side
  issue they also don't use `git tag`.
* *Security* - you have surely seen someone comment that Telegram is
  [insecure] and what do the founders do? They start attacking the person
  saying that it's insecure instead of doing anything to the security
  issues. The latest case was Pavel Durov vs Edward Snowden at Twitter.
* *Spam* - the topic I have written the most about. At Telegram there is
  no way to control who can message you (you can only report them for
  spam afterwards if you don't reply and that doesn't apply to their
  "secret chats"). As I am a woman, I get messages from many men and my
  block list was around 110 people at the time I removed my account. The
  issue didn't get helped by removing username which is one big reason
  to use Telegram and while I had username, it got worse when "Telegram
  search engine" Intent.to listed me as a "channel or bot" which
  apparently meant "dating bot" as my username was "Kissaela", I was
  probably findable with the word "kiss".
    * How other services have reslved this?
        * IRCds generally have usermode +g preventing anyone from messaging
          you unless you `/accept` them or give them permision to PM you
          first.
        * Matrix/Riot requires you to create a room for even messages
          between two users and to message the person, you must invite
          them to your new room. The invited user has a choice whether
          to follow your invitation or refuse it.

[Telegram tweets]:{% post_url 2016-06-01-telegram-tweets %}
[insecure]:http://security.stackexchange.com/a/49802

* * * * *

How do you reach me now? I will be updating my SOME page to include IM
accounts or kill the chat page replacing it with contact page including
some kind of details on how to contact me (remember the PGP key that won't
be listed) hopefully keeping control on who can contact me. Whichever
I do, you will find the SOME or Contact page from top bar. It still needs
some thinking and I won't be updating this page.

* * * * *

I almost forgot, you can remove your Telegram account at
[Telegram.org/deactivate](https://telegram.org/deactivate) . You are asked
your phone number in international format and then security code sent t
*Telegram* and you are asked for optional feedback before leaving and
final confirmation. When you confirm, you are logged out of all Telegram
clients and your account is gone. However your groups stay as ghosts.