xe3
What you are feeling is natural and relatable. You need to find a balance and define your threat model.
Privacy maximalism and/or FOSS maximalism etc is natural impulse when you first begin to grasp just how quietly exploitive, invasive, and commoditized the modern internet is. But it also leads to burnout and can be isolating if you are too rigid about it.
Define your threat model, and your priorities. Accept that perfection is not attainable and do the best you can. It’s less overwhelming.
My advice:
- pick ONE easy to use and well established/reputable messenger that is privacy respecting (Signal is the obvious choice in my eyes). Make it known that this is your preferred messenger (and have a short, not super technical and not super political explanation why you prefer it). Try to get the people you are closest with or communicate with most, and the people you think are most likely to be interested to start using it.
- Then, have a preferred fallback or two (basically the “least worst” mainstream option). Depending on your circle, iMessage, RCS, WhatsApp, or Telegram might be that fallback. None are anywhere near perfect but they also aren’t the worst and sometimes you have to meet people where they are.
Yeah the fact that OP calls systemd “new” or even knows what systemd is makes me doubt the authenticity of the original post (or more likely I just misinterpreted the top post).
I read it as an excited new Linux user who “Doesn’t know how to use Debian” and is enthusiastic about MX Linux. But there is no way in hell someone who doesn’t know how to use Debian would have a preference for alternative unit systems and definitely wouldn’t be calling systemd new
I think Signal won’t leave unless they have to (have to meaning if the only alternative to leaving is to undermine user privacy/security which they will not do)
And if Signal has no other alternative than I can’t see how every other e2ee messenger wouldn’t also face the same difficult choice.
Edit: also what does exiting the EU actually mean? Like what would prevent you from just continuing to use the app?
If it works for you go for it. I don’t hear much about it, and haven’t encountered anyone using it. I know it is one of few Debian based distros that is based on Debian itself and not Ubuntu, that is about all I know about it.
What attracts you to it? What are its selling points and what makes it different from Debian? Do you know anything about the developers.