2017-09-12 07:20:08

Anyone having tried out Bitmessage?

Bitmessage is an anonymized decentralized peer to peer network for anonymous messaging.


The Bitmessage client is not very accessible, but you can set up  Bitmessage in your email client by editing a configuration file.


Main site:

http://www.bitmessage.org




POP/SMTP email gateway:

https://github.com/AyrA/BitMailServer

2017-09-12 07:52:28

Hmm. I don't get the point of this?

Best regards SLJ.
Feel free to contact me privately if you have something in mind. If you do so, then please send me a mail instead of using the private message on the forum, since I don't check those very often.
Facebook: https://facebook.com/sorenjensen1988
Twitter: https://twitter.com/soerenjensen

2017-09-12 08:06:27

@SLJ

Bitmessage is basically a an alternative communications system for exchange of anonymous messages.

It's an email like system but with builtin anonymity.

A user generates an address locally, and may use that to communicate with others anonymously without  disclosing more than his Bitmessage address.

So if you meets someone in a forum or chat, you need not give out your real email address thereby disclosing your identity but may instead elect to provide the stranger an anonymous Bitmessage address.

The stranger now must download Bitmessage, create his own address and start communicating over Bitmessage.

It's somewhat like Tor, but for messaging.

Now someone may ask why not just create an extra Google account?

The problem is that Google is not very anonymous or privacy friendly, and it has become almost impossible to sign up for or use  an account without having to provide personally identifiable information.


Possible  use scenarios   for Bitmessage include small private mailing lists for trusted communication, and having a sidechannel to route around Facebook's censorship.
Suppose that you have a Facebook group, but ther is just one issue you can't mention due to Facebook's rules.

2017-09-12 09:37:56 (edited by defender 2017-09-12 09:41:45)

Also great for pedophiles, credit card thieves, drug dealers, official document forgers, and black hat hackers, who will undoubtedly be the main users of the service. ^_^
It sucks that every time something comes out like this that's what happens to it, everyday people have the rite to anonymity, especially when the main payment for using online services these days is semipersonal data, and by extension the add revenue that comes from it.
Many internet based companies will try anything  they think they can get away with to collect this payment, even while telling you it's actually free, or while pretending they aren't associated with the service you are actually using.
Still, the statistics don't lie, and I can't say it's particularly surprising.


I personally suggest "10minutemail" for sketchy signups, and a secondary email address tied in no way to your real one, E.G. different password, different security question, no backup phone number or email address or ties to mutual social media accounts, , and if possible, using a different service than your primary, for communications with unknowns.
With the kind of unsavory shit that always, with out fail happens on these new platforms, is it any wonder how many go bust? I want nothing to do with them, because who knows how it might effect me when it happens.

2017-09-12 10:16:23

@defender
I am not sure I understand what you are saying.

Bitmessage is opensource, encrypted and  decentralized, and you wouldn't be responsible by virtue of running a piece of opensource software  participating in a peer to peer network exchanging encrypted communication.

It's no more illegal or shady than Tor or bittorrent. Technology is victimless and shouldn't be blamed for the activities of its users.

Whether particular uses of that technology or the software may violate the law is a different matter, and I refuse to take any responsibility for how others might decide to use or abuse that for evil ends, unless of course the state through the law compels a different result.

The implication of your argument seems to be that technology offering anonymity is problematic if it fails to stem the tide of criminal abuse, but if it's your point, I entirely disagree.

2017-09-12 16:40:37

I'm sorry if I get it wrong, but sounds like it is for people who are very paranoid. What do you feer of? What do you have to hide? If you only use trusted websites, there shouldn't be any issues. But it might be great for hackers and people who likes to mess around with ileagle stuff and wanna hide themself.
Again, I'm sorry if I get this wrong. I just still don't see the point.

Best regards SLJ.
Feel free to contact me privately if you have something in mind. If you do so, then please send me a mail instead of using the private message on the forum, since I don't check those very often.
Facebook: https://facebook.com/sorenjensen1988
Twitter: https://twitter.com/soerenjensen

2017-09-13 00:25:20

How do you set this server up?

Bitcoin Address:
1MeNca7h6m8du4TV3psN4m4X666p6Y36u5m

2017-09-13 03:44:13 (edited by jacob100 2017-09-13 08:11:41)

@hurstseth405

1. Download Bitmessage binaries or follow instructions for running or compiling sourcecode from www.bitmessage.org.

2. Download Bitserver from:


https://github.com/AyrA/BitMailServer/

3. Extract contents of bitserver.zip to same folder as Bitmessage.


4. Modification of configuration files:

Add the following to the Bitmessage configuration file keys.dat:

apienabled = true
apiport = 8442
apiinterface = 127.0.0.1
apiusername = test
apipassword = test


Add the following to bitserver.ini:

[API]
FILE=keys.dat
NAME=test
PASS=test
DEST=127.0.0.1
PORT=8442

[MAIL]
RANDOM=TRUE
STRIP=TRUE


Short explanation of the configuration settings:

keys.dat:

apienabled = true (enables or disables the Bitmessage API)

apiport = 8442 (Sets Bitmessage API port)

apiinterface = 127.0.0.1 (Only bind to local interface)
apiusername = test (Username for Bitmessage API)
apipassword = test (Password for Bitmessage API)


Bitserver.ini:
FILE=keys.dat
NAME=test (Bitmessage API username)
PASS=test (Bitmessage API password)
DEST=127.0.0.1 (Connect to Bitmessage API on IP address, can be internal or external)
PORT=8442 (Bitmessage API port)

[MAIL]
RANDOM=TRUE (Sends all Bitmessage messages sent through the SMTP port via randomly generated BM-xxx address. Great for plausible deniability or having multiple burner identities)

STRIP=TRUE (Strip all email client headers from outgoing messages)

Configuration of email client.

SMTP Port 25

POP3 Port 110

POP3 Username test
POP3 Password test

The email client must be configured with the email address [email protected].
[email protected].

If you have already generated a Bitmessage address, look in keys.dat for your  address.

Then  start bitmessage and then bitserver.

2017-09-13 04:40:10

@SLJ

Strong privacy and anonymity is important to preserve free speech against corporate domination.

If you don't get why strong privacy and anonymity is
important, but thinks that only those desiring that their privacy ought to be protected by technology rather than useless privacy policies, it's simply a matter on which we must agree to disagree.
The common claim that only those who have something (criminal or unsavery) to hide need strong private and anonymous communication is belied by the daily data breaches
even at big providers, and the shifting sands of social media giants' policies.

For instance, Facebook, Microsoft and other communications providers scan even privat chat messages for  certain content.

Read these articles:

"Facebook just BANNED you from mentioning this website - and this is why"

!"Facebook Is Blocking an Upstart Rival—But It’s Complicated"

"Microsoft Monitors Skype More Closely Than Previously Believed: Report "

"Facebook is reading your private messages and blocks you if it doesn't like the link you send to your friends"

"Facebook just changed its mind about monitoring private messages"

(Actually they didn't in any legally enforceable way.)

If you use a big social media provider, you really don't have any strong claim to privacy or free speech, what you have is the speech and privacy rights the provider will tolerate, which might often be restricted by a very arbitrary,  repressive and  shifting policy.

Facebook for instance  bans the url to the Pirate bay, even though mentioning that url is not illegal, and Microsoft and Google also automatically monitor content of chat and users'
cloud accounts.

Facebook, Google and Microsoft do that because they have a financial incentive, but extralegal and governmental pressure may also be an excuse for curbing free speech on social media.


A decentralized communications system like Bitmessage, Tor or I2P can aleviate that pressure by giving users back their right to their own data and grant them the power to speak without fear of  social or private retaliation.

Of course, if you say or do something illegal, law enforcement may still expend substantial resources in tracking you down, but there should be no private corporate gatekeepers restricting free speech, only the laws enforced by the state.

I think that Facebook,    Twitter and others are interesting and beneficial for innocent smalltalk, but there should be no illusion that you have any meaningful free speech or privacy when using these platforms.

2017-09-13 07:57:08

@hurstseth405

You can download Bitmessage and all needed files from the following link:


https://www.sendspace.com/file/o26md2

If you're paranoid and don't trust the binaries, get them from bitmessage.org or run/compile from source.

It would be great to have a Bitmessage community for the blind.

You can read other info about on  bitmessage.org or beamstat.com or the Bitmessage community on Reddit.