IRC for DMs post; closes #12 Signed-off-by: Anirudh Oppiliappan <x@icyphox.sh>
Anirudh Oppiliappan x@icyphox.sh
Sun, 03 Nov 2019 11:27:33 +0530
4 files changed,
195 insertions(+),
3 deletions(-)
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@@ -24,10 +24,10 @@ # latest posts ([see all](/blog))
| | | | --- | --: | +| [IRC for DMs](/blog/irc-for-dms) | `2019-11-03` | | [The intelligence conundrum](/blog/intel-conundrum) | `2019-10-28` | | [Hacky scripts](/blog/hacky-scripts) | `2019-10-24` | | [Status update](/blog/2019-10-17) | `2019-10-16` | -| [PyCon India 2019 wrap-up](/blog/pycon-wrap-up) | `2019-10-15` | # currently reading ([see all](/reading))
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pages/blog/_index.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ ## Computers, security & computer security.
| | | | --- | --: | +| [IRC for DMs](/blog/irc-for-dms) | `2019-11-03` | | [The intelligence conundrum](/blog/intel-conundrum) | `2019-10-28` | | [Hacky scripts](/blog/hacky-scripts) | `2019-10-24` | | [Status update](/blog/2019-10-17) | `2019-10-16` |@@ -20,6 +21,6 @@ | [Disinformation demystified](/blog/disinfo) |`2019-09-10`|
| [Setting up my personal mailserver](/blog/mailserver) |`2019-08-15`| | [Picking the FB50 smart lock (CVE-2019-13143)](/blog/fb50) |`2019-08-06`| | [Return Oriented Programming on ARM (32-bit)](/blog/rop-on-arm) |`2019-06-06`| -| [My Setup](/blog/my-setup) |`2019-13-05`| +| [My Setup](/blog/my-setup) |`2019-05-13`| | [Python for Reverse Engineering #1: ELF Binaries](/blog/python-for-re-1/)|`2019-02-08`|
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@@ -11,7 +11,104 @@ <link>https://icyphox.sh/blog/</link>
</image> <language>en-us</language> <copyright>Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0</copyright> - <item><title>The intelligence conundrum</title><description><![CDATA[<p>I watched the latest <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.W.A.T._(2017_TV_series)">S.W.A.T.</a> + <item><title>IRC for DMs</title><description><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://nerdypepper.me">Nerdy</a> and I decided to try and use IRC for our +daily communications, as opposed to non-free alternatives like WhatsApp +or Telegram. This is an account of how that went.</p> + +<h3 id="the-status-quo-of-instant-messaging-apps">The status quo of instant messaging apps</h3> + +<p>I’ve tried a <em>ton</em> of messaging applications – Signal, WhatsApp, +Telegram, Wire, Jami (Ring), Matrix, Slack, Discord and more recently, DeltaChat.</p> + +<p><strong>Signal</strong>: It straight up sucks on Android. Not to mention the +centralzied architecture, and OWS’s refusal to federate.</p> + +<p><strong>WhatsApp</strong>: Facebook’s spyware that people use without a second +thought. The sole reason I have it installed is for University’s +class groups; I can’t wait to graduate.</p> + +<p><strong>Telegram</strong>: Centralized architecture and a closed-source server. It’s +got a very nice Android client, though.</p> + +<p><strong>Jami</strong>: Distributed platform, free software. I am not going to comment +on this because I don’t recall what my experience was like, but I’m not +using it now… so if that’s indicative of anything.</p> + +<p><strong>Matrix (Riot)</strong>: Distributed network. Multiple client implementations. +Overall, pretty great, but it’s slow. I’ve had messages not send / not +received a lot of times. Matrix + Riot excels in group communication, but +really sucks for one-to-one chats.</p> + +<p><strong>Slack</strong> / <strong>Discord</strong>: <em>sigh</em></p> + +<p><strong>DeltaChat</strong>: Pretty interesting idea – on paper. Using existing email +infrastructure for IM sounds great, but it isn’t all that cash in +practice. Email isn’t instant, there’s always a delay of give or take +5 to 10 seconds, if not more. This affects the flow of conversation. +I might write a small blog post later, revewing DeltaChat.<sup class="footnote-ref" id="fnref-deltachat"><a href="#fn-deltachat">2</a></sup></p> + +<h3 id="why-irc">Why IRC?</h3> + +<p>It’s free, in all senses of the word. A lot of others have done a great +job of answering this question in further detail, this is by far my +favourite:</p> + +<p><a href="https://drewdevault.com/2019/07/01/Absence-of-features-in-IRC.html">https://drewdevault.com/2019/07/01/Absence-of-features-in-IRC.html</a></p> + +<h3 id="using-ircs-private-messages">Using IRC’s private messages</h3> + +<p>This was the next obvious choice, but personal message buffers don’t +persist in ZNC and it’s very annoying to have to do a <code>/query +nerdypepper</code> (Weechat) or to search and message a user via Revolution +IRC. The only unexplored option – using a channel.</p> + +<h3 id="setting-up-a-channel-for-dms">Setting up a channel for DMs</h3> + +<p>A fairly easy process:</p> + +<ul> +<li>Limit users to 2 (3 if you have a bot)</li> +<li><p>Set modes (on Rizon)<sup class="footnote-ref" id="fnref-modes"><a href="#fn-modes">1</a></sup>:</p> + +<pre><code>#crimson [+ilnpstz 3] +</code></pre> + +<p>In essence, this limits the users to 3, sets the channel to invite only, +hides the channel from <code>/whois</code> and <code>/list</code>, and a few other misc. +modes.</p></li> +<li><p>Notifications: Also a trivial task; a quick modification to <a href="https://weechat.org/scripts/source/lnotify.py.html/">lnotify.py</a> +to send a notification for all messages in the specified buffer +(<code>#crimson</code>) did the trick for Weechat. Revolution IRC, on the other +hand, has an option to setup rules for notifications – super +convenient.</p></li> +<li><p>A bot: Lastly, a bot for a few small tasks – fetching URL titles, responding +to <code>.np</code> (now playing) etc. Writing an IRC bot is dead simple, and it +took me about an hour or two to get most of the basic functionality in +place. The source is <a href="https://github.com/icyphox/detotated">here</a>. +It is by no means “good code”; it breaks spectacularly from time to +time.</p></li> +</ul> + +<h3 id="in-conclusion">In conclusion</h3> + +<p>As the subtitle suggests, using IRC has been great. It’s probably not +for everyone though, but it fits my (and Nerdy’s) usecase perfectly.</p> + +<p>P.S.: <em>I’m not sure why the footnotes are reversed.</em></p> + +<div class="footnotes"> +<hr /> +<ol> +<li id="fn-modes"> +<p>Channel modes on <a href="https://wiki.rizon.net/index.php?title=Channel_Modes">Rizon</a>. <a href="#fnref-modes" class="footnoteBackLink" title="Jump back to footnote 1 in the text.">↩</a></p> +</li> + +<li id="fn-deltachat"> +<p>It’s in <a href="https://github.com/icyphox/site/issues/10">queue</a>. <a href="#fnref-deltachat" class="footnoteBackLink" title="Jump back to footnote 2 in the text.">↩</a></p> +</li> +</ol> +</div> +]]></description><link>https://icyphox.sh/blog/irc-for-dms</link><pubDate>Sun, 03 Nov 2019 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://icyphox.sh/blog/irc-for-dms</guid></item><item><title>The intelligence conundrum</title><description>< and I decided to try and use IRC for our +daily communications, as opposed to non-free alternatives like WhatsApp +or Telegram. This is an account of how that went. + +### The status quo of instant messaging apps + +I've tried a _ton_ of messaging applications -- Signal, WhatsApp, +Telegram, Wire, Jami (Ring), Matrix, Slack, Discord and more recently, DeltaChat. + +**Signal**: It straight up sucks on Android. Not to mention the +centralzied architecture, and OWS's refusal to federate. + +**WhatsApp**: Facebook's spyware that people use without a second +thought. The sole reason I have it installed is for University's +class groups; I can't wait to graduate. + +**Telegram**: Centralized architecture and a closed-source server. It's +got a very nice Android client, though. + +**Jami**: Distributed platform, free software. I am not going to comment +on this because I don't recall what my experience was like, but I'm not +using it now... so if that's indicative of anything. + +**Matrix (Riot)**: Distributed network. Multiple client implementations. +Overall, pretty great, but it's slow. I've had messages not send / not +received a lot of times. Matrix + Riot excels in group communication, but +really sucks for one-to-one chats. + +**Slack** / **Discord**: _sigh_ + +**DeltaChat**: Pretty interesting idea -- on paper. Using existing email +infrastructure for IM sounds great, but it isn't all that cash in +practice. Email isn't instant, there's always a delay of give or take +5 to 10 seconds, if not more. This affects the flow of conversation. +I might write a small blog post later, revewing DeltaChat.[^deltachat] + +### Why IRC? + +It's free, in all senses of the word. A lot of others have done a great +job of answering this question in further detail, this is by far my +favourite: + +<a href="https://drewdevault.com/2019/07/01/Absence-of-features-in-IRC.html">https://drewdevault.com/2019/07/01/Absence-of-features-in-IRC.html</a> + +### Using IRC's private messages + +This was the next obvious choice, but personal message buffers don't +persist in ZNC and it's very annoying to have to do a `/query +nerdypepper` (Weechat) or to search and message a user via Revolution +IRC. The only unexplored option -- using a channel. + +### Setting up a channel for DMs + +A fairly easy process: + +* Limit users to 2 (3 if you have a bot) +* Set modes (on Rizon)[^modes]: + + ``` + #crimson [+ilnpstz 3] + ``` + In essence, this limits the users to 3, sets the channel to invite only, +hides the channel from `/whois` and `/list`, and a few other misc. +modes. + +* Notifications: Also a trivial task; a quick modification to [lnotify.py](https://weechat.org/scripts/source/lnotify.py.html/) +to send a notification for all messages in the specified buffer +(`#crimson`) did the trick for Weechat. Revolution IRC, on the other +hand, has an option to setup rules for notifications -- super +convenient. + +* A bot: Lastly, a bot for a few small tasks -- fetching URL titles, responding +to `.np` (now playing) etc. Writing an IRC bot is dead simple, and it +took me about an hour or two to get most of the basic functionality in +place. The source is [here](https://github.com/icyphox/detotated). +It is by no means "good code"; it breaks spectacularly from time to +time. + +### In conclusion + +As the subtitle suggests, using IRC has been great. It's probably not +for everyone though, but it fits my (and Nerdy's) usecase perfectly. + +P.S.: _I'm not sure why the footnotes are reversed._ + +[^modes]: Channel modes on [Rizon](https://wiki.rizon.net/index.php?title=Channel_Modes). +[^deltachat]: It's in [queue](https://github.com/icyphox/site/issues/10).