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+---
+layout: post
+title: Use a second Signal account (kinda)
+date: 2024-08-02 18:48 +0200
+lang: en
+categories: ["tech"]
+---
+
+As you may have noticed, I added a Signal account in the contacts section. Mike
+Kuketz wrote on his <a href="https://www.kuketz-blog.de/">blog</a> how to
+use a second Signal account on ones phone. <a href=
+"https://www.kuketz-blog.de/kuketz-blog-wie-ich-mit-dem-signal-chat-umgehe-zwei-accounts/">
+This is the link</a> to the relevant article.
+
+Anyway: I already use Signal for my "real life" identity. Even though Signal
+offers user names, and the ability to hide ones phone number: I don't trust
+that. And secondly, you can only set one username. If I wanted to be active
+under myreallifename.11111, I couldn't use my furry nick (uvok) anymore, and
+vice versa. This sucks. The article proposes to use the alternative client <a
+href="https://github.com/mollyim/mollyim-android">Molly</a> on mobile. Since I
+don't use Signal on desktop much anyway, this is an okay-ish solution. I have a
+second SIM card with a different number, so registering a second account provides
+the separation I desire.  Yeah, I'm quite aware Signal could cut off this client
+anytime, with its "no third party clients" policy (???), though. I'll deal with
+it when that happens.
+
+I'd still prefer to use messengers without the need for a phone number. For
+simple use cases, XMPP still works "good enough" for me. But eh, just in case
+someone has something sensitive to tell me, I now have this as a contact method.
+
+Also, I recently vented about Discord requiring a phone number when you want to
+join a chat / group, or at least if you appear "suspicious" for whatever reason
+(I refuse to use the Discord lingo "server", since this is a blatant lie).
+What's the difference between giving the phone number to Signal vs Telegram vs
+Discord? Well, that **is** a valid question, I'm not even sure myself.  Back
+when I started using Signal, it was touted as an alternative to SMS, even still
+handled SMS itself. It seemed "trustworthy enough". Telegram wasn't really
+trustworthy to me, so I got a second SIM card. I didn't want my IRL contacts who
+have my phone number to find my furry Telegram account. At the same time, if you
+want to communicate with other furries, there seems to be no way around it (even
+though I bemoan that fact, and agree with <a href=
+"https://soatok.blog/2024/05/14/its-time-for-furries-to-stop-using-telegram/">
+soatok</a>).
+
+Now with Discord it's a kind of "enough is enough" situation. Also, I have no
+really use for Discord, save for this one instance where I would have needed to
+join for a specific con staffing meeting. (Intro to tools, I had that last year
+already, so not a huge disadvantage).
+
+**My overall opinion is still "all messengers suck (one way or another)".** 
+But hey, maybe this is still useful for some people.
+
+