Retro Messenger
retromessenger.space
Retro Messenger — a retro-themed, end-to-end encrypted Windows chat app built in C++. Lightweight, secure, ad-free, and privacy-focused.

For a few months I’ve spent my free time working on a C++ messenger. It started off pretty simple, just two input boxes for IP address and port number, more of a fun experiment. From there it started to grow and soon allowed for peers to connect automatically using a relay. For a while it only allowed two people to speak at once, which was good for security but was very inconvenient. Now Retro Messenger allows multiple users to speak at once, sending encrypted files and messages that exist only in memory.

Although there is plenty of things I could improve, I was curious to see if anyone had suggestions or requests for what else could be added. I’m currently debugging a local-logs feature, and I could look into how to implement voice calls in the future. Thanks for your time and feel free to ask questions

Landing page: https://retromessenger.space/

    • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      1·
      56 minutes ago

      Honestly (can’t speak for OP, but) I’ve been moving away from matrix recently.

      • Element is buggy as hell on my phone and a shitty electron app on my laptop. The other apps mostly lack feature parity.
      • It’s difficult for normals to use and thus difficult for me to convert and retain my contacts (and trying has likely hurt my chances at getting them to adopt another now that they’ve all fallen back to SMS).
      • Parts of it like reactions aren’t encrypted and it leaks metadata hardcore
      • I found out that the Matrix [.] org foundation was started by a former Amdocs employee (in fact it started as an Amdocs project before they stopped funding it and the matrix foundation was created) which raises HUGE red flags for me. Amdocs is affiliated with mossad. Even if Matrix isn’t their proximity to Amdocs who definitely is is too close for comfort.
      • Lastly I understand that things in the privacy space are often exploited by bad actors and don’t directly blame Matrix for this, but the CP problem on matrix makes the public rooms basically unusable and thus removes them from the equation. First of all because of this they removed the ability to find rooms through search, which “good” but it also kneecaps innocent use of the rooms, and secondly I just don’t want to see that shit so even if I know the room addr I don’t want to join it anymore unless I need specific tech support from an official room listed on some project’s website, and then I’m in and out. Plus now I have friends asking what kind of CP app did I make them install and asking if they’ll get sent to prison for seeing that shit in the raspberry pi room, and you and I both know they won’t but also I don’t want to put them in that position in the first place.

      I’ve fallen back to xmpp for now, but I’ve been trying out Delta Chat as of the last few days and I’m liking it, I think I could get the normals on it with the easy onboarding, and the “no public groups” thing might be a feature not a bug.

      I really really wanted to like matrix but it boils down to A) even if I do a chat app is useless without my people on it and B) with the Amdocs connection I’m too paranoid to trust it and C) even if I can just avoid the public rooms and thus CP, the fact that someone I know like my mom or cousin could conceivably stumble upon it there isn’t a selling point at the very least.