[udia]

How does this compare with something like Matrix, which also does decentralized encrypted communications? https://matrix.org/

[sarahjamielewis]

Hi Sarah from Open Privacy / Cwtch team here - the main major difference is that Cwtch servers are completely untrusted under the risk model - they don't learn anything about the groups they are hosting, who is a member of which group, or who each message is for.

The design for groups is still in flux, and they are marked experimental but there are a few more details in our Secure Development Handbook https://docs.openprivacy.ca/cwtch-security-handbook/groups.h...

Metadata resistant group comms is still a fairly large open research problem, and we are also working on the research side to reduce some of the bandwidth requirements that are currently required by our group protocol: https://git.openprivacy.ca/openprivacy/niwl

[bjt2n3904]

Interesting project! I've been looking for something to replace Signal, and this scratches an itch.

I see that you're using Tor to route messages? How would mobile devices fair with Tor connections when they go to sleep?

[sarahjamielewis]

On Android we implement a background service that will wake up periodically and either use the active tor connection or start a new one if the kernel has stopped it for any reason - and also reconnects the UI. This makes Cwtch connections fairly stable on android devices - even for p2p.

However, it also means that Cwtch on Android is fairly battery intensive. We provide a way to easily shutdown Cwtch completely for this reason - and we are researching ways to minimize power consumption (both through tor optimizations and alternative anonymous communication networks)

[kitkat_new]

how will it compare to P2P Matrix?

[dane-pgp]

I'm wondering that too, or specifically how it compares to Matrix run as a Tor hidden service, which is apparently possible:

https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/issues/2111#issuecomme...

[remram]

I'm not sure if Cootch is federated, like Matrix, or peer-to-peer. I assume the first, if Tor is being used?

Berry also sounds similar, although it is not released yet: https://berty.tech/

[celticninja]

It's Cwtch, pronounced more like Cutch than Cootch

Edit. Cutch was supposed to be more of a phonetic way to pronounce it as opposed to a word with a similar sound.

[syzygyhack]

Really? Intuitively it looks like it should be pronounced "Switch" to me.

[grey_earthling]

Vowels in Welsh are not pronounced like they are in English.

(“Cwtch” is Welsh for “hug”. I know this because there's a good beer called Cwtch.)

[celticninja]

One thing the Welsh language is not, is intuitive.

[remram]

I don't know how either "butch" or "cutch" is pronounced. You might want to offer a common word for people who did not grow up in America...

edit: butcher?

[celticninja]

Yes, butch is like butcher but without the "er"

[celticninja]

This may help, although I would have thought butch was common enough. E.g. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

https://www.google.com/search?q=define+butch&oq=define+butch...

[some_furry]

Like "clutch" without the "L"?

[celticninja]

Close. This is from the homepage:

How do I pronounce Cwtch? Like "kutch", to rhyme with "butch".

In common use you might say "Cwtch in" to mean "snuggle in" or "cuddle in close'

[some_furry]

That is a really damn cute name