[Freak_NL]

Why? If someone wants to use a phone number for their identifier, fine. But make it optional. If I join Signal with another alias (free-form string perhaps) then they could just add me via that. Not really harder than using my phone number.

[JumpCrisscross]

> Why? If someone wants to use a phone number for their identifier, fine. But make it optional

Network effects.

If you’re only findable via custom handle versus the phone number your network already has, you’ve reduced the network’s value to your contacts. Put another way, if I join a messaging service and it says two of my contacts are on it (but many more may be), that’s close to a non-starter.

[Freak_NL]

I'm fine with people not finding me automatically. If Signal wants to keep the low-resistance method of bulk-checking your contact's phone numbers, fine. Just give me the choice of joining without it.

[JumpCrisscross]

> fine with people not finding me automatically

That’s a private gain at the network’s cost. For a challenger, their decision to bar that albeit limited form of free-riding is perfectly rational. For a dominant network, I am much more sympathetic to the call for anonymity.

[turminal]

Prioritizing your market share over private gains of your users is precisely the thing that makes you "not an ally of user freedom"

[JumpCrisscross]

> Prioritizing your market share over private gains of your users

Network effects make these virtually indistinguishable. If a network is unusable it doesn’t help anyone.

There may be an argument, however, for charging for the opt out.

[gefhfffh]

Unusable is a big stretch

[imwillofficial]

And insane spam follows.

[Freak_NL]

Why would you add a spammer to your contacts in Signal?

[imwillofficial]

People can request to write you without being in your contacts. I have received several spam messages this week in this way. Imagine how much more with a lower barrier to entry

[lucian1900]

If it's optional, then there is more than one way to identify users. For a non-technical user, that means they have to make a choice and understand that choice, as opposed to just always using a phone number.

And everyone with a phone has a phone number.