---
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.