[spraak]

> I guess this leaves email, SMS and IRC as the main remaining options.

But how are those not also vendor lock-ins?

[larkeith]

Email and IRC are completely vendor-agnostic protocols. I'm not as familiar with SMS, but it's much less centralized than Facebook - any user on any SMS provider may contact any other user, not only ones with the same provider.

[icebraining]

And in many countries, you can port your number to other providers, much like with email (if you have your domain).

[tehlike]

You can text anyone on any network.

[brewdad]

Anyone in your home country.

For me, and I don't think I am unusual in the US at least, texts to anywhere outside of the US, Canada, and Mexico aren't allowed without paying extra. Texts to many countries aren't allowed at any price.

[tscs37]

Sucks to be at your Mobile Provider.

I can text literally any phone number, given I have enough money booked on the account. SMS is by nature not centralized, the data is exchanged between mobile providers.

If you were to start your own mobile provider, you could text anyone everywhere given you manage to get peering.