From: smirzo@example.com   
      
   D  writes:   
      
   > On Wed, 19 Feb 2025, Salvador Mirzo wrote:   
   >   
   >> D  writes:   
   >>   
   >> [...]   
   >>   
   >>> Note that signals backend is not open source. The backend software   
   >>> might be, but we have no direct access to their implementation and   
   >>> running of it.   
   >>>   
   >>> That said however, I trust them way more than FB, and I think they   
   >>> have high ethical standards, so I would not worry about it.   
   >>   
   >> Can't Signal eventually be bought off?   
   >>   
   >   
   > Interesting question. They are a foundation so that does put some   
   > legal limitations on such scenarios. However! So was/is Open AI and   
   > look what happened there.   
   >   
   > So I assume, since it is based in the US that the answer to your   
   > question is a "yes". But I am not a lawyer. ;)   
      
   Lol.  When you want to say you're not a lawyer, you should say IANAL,   
   which is one of these ridiculous USENET acronyms. :) But what I really   
   think is that nobody should say IANAL.  Lol.  First, who cares?  Lol.   
   Second, it's almost never illegal to give your opinion on anything.   
      
   But, yeah.  You gave us a great example.  Open AI was a non-profit   
   organization later turned for-profit.  So, the same nonsense could   
   happen to Signal unless it has made any sort of unusual special   
   arrangements.   
      
   Companies and political parties (which are the same thing) should   
   formalize for-life commitments.  For example, a Senate candidate, a   
   Republic president and so on should register in writing some principles   
   and promises that they actually must live up to, lest they be impeached.   
      
   Take a look at YouTube.  The world has invested 15 billion videos in it   
   and now it needs to pay for viewing them by lack of privacy and ad   
   viewing.  I can't recall when the world actually agreed to this deal.   
   Deals should be clear from the very start.   
      
   For me to use Signal, say, I'd need a for-life promise that it would   
   never be taken over from me.  But, actually, I wouldn't use it either   
   way because I just prefer a decentralized system.  Signal should   
   redesign itself in a decentralized manner so that perhaps I could host   
   my own server (for my own communication), say.  Just like e-mail and   
   news are.   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)