Ricochet is a peer-to-peer encrypted instant messaging application that uses Tor hidden services for communication. Each user generates a unique hidden service address, eliminating the need for servers and providing strong anonymity. Contacts are added by sharing these addresses, and all messages are encrypted end-to-end. This decentralized architecture makes it resistant to surveillance and censorship, as there's no central point to monitor or control. Ricochet prioritizes privacy and security by minimizing metadata leakage and requiring no personal information for account creation. While the project is no longer actively maintained, its source code remains available.
The blog post details the author's rediscovery of, and fascination with, the Usenet newsgroup alt.anonymous.messages. This group, designed for anonymous posting before the widespread adoption of anonymizing tools like Tor, relied on a server that stripped identifying headers. The author describes the unique culture that emerged within this space, characterized by stream-of-consciousness posts, personal confessions, emotional outpourings, and cryptic, often nonsensical messages, all contributing to an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue. The author highlights the historical significance of this group as a precursor to modern anonymous online communication and expresses a sense of nostalgia for this lost digital world.
HN users discuss the now-defunct alt.anonymous.messages Usenet newsgroup, expressing nostalgia and sharing anecdotes. Several commenters reminisce about its unique culture of anonymity and free expression, contrasting it with the more traceable nature of modern internet forums. Some recall the technical challenges of accessing the newsgroup and the prevalence of spam and noise. Others highlight its role as a precursor to later anonymous online spaces, debating its influence and the eventual reasons for its decline. The overall sentiment is one of remembering a bygone era of the internet, marked by a different kind of anonymity and community interaction. A few commenters also mention the difficulty of archiving Usenet content and express interest in exploring any preserved archives of the group.
Summary of Comments ( 12 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43046192
HN commenters discuss Ricochet's reliance on Tor hidden services for its peer-to-peer architecture. Several express concern over its discoverability, suggesting contact discovery is a significant hurdle for wider adoption. Some praised its strong privacy features, while others questioned its scalability and the potential for network congestion with increased usage. The single developer model and lack of recent updates also drew attention, raising questions about the project's long-term viability and security. A few commenters shared positive experiences using Ricochet, highlighting its ease of setup and reliable performance. Others compared it to other secure messaging platforms, debating the trade-offs between usability and anonymity. The discussion also touches on the inherent limitations of relying solely on Tor, including speed and potential vulnerabilities.
The Hacker News post discussing Ricochet, a peer-to-peer instant messaging system built on Tor hidden services, has a moderate number of comments, offering a variety of perspectives on its functionality, security, and practicality.
Several commenters discuss the inherent limitations and challenges of using Tor for real-time communication. Some point out the latency introduced by the Tor network can make voice and video chat impractical, while others mention the difficulties in achieving reliable connectivity and call quality. One commenter even suggests that the performance characteristics of Tor are fundamentally unsuitable for such applications.
The discussion delves into the security aspects of Ricochet, with commenters raising questions about metadata leakage and the effectiveness of hidden services in protecting user anonymity. Some express concerns about the potential for traffic correlation attacks, while others acknowledge the improved privacy compared to traditional messaging platforms. There's a specific discussion thread regarding the feasibility of deanonymization through timing analysis and other sophisticated techniques.
A few comments focus on the usability and features of Ricochet. Some users find the setup process complicated and the user interface less intuitive than mainstream messengers. Others appreciate its decentralized nature and the absence of central servers, highlighting the potential for increased resistance to censorship and surveillance.
Several commenters mention alternative peer-to-peer messaging projects and compare their features and security models to Ricochet. These alternatives often utilize different underlying technologies, such as blockchain or distributed hash tables. This comparison prompts discussions about the trade-offs between different approaches to decentralized communication.
Finally, some commenters express skepticism about the long-term viability of Ricochet, citing the challenges of maintaining and developing an open-source project with limited resources. Others remain optimistic about its potential and encourage further development and community involvement.