Telegram chat program - and so much more
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I figured this needed it's own thread.
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OK one kinda draw back... looks like you can only add contacts based on phone numbers..
so is this just a ponzi scheme to get phone numbers? - 
No, because you can add folks to chat based on their @ username. Though you are right, they still don't show up in your contacts list without a Phone number.
Edit: Scratch that. I see the potential for your point.
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@dafyre said:
No, because you can add folks to chat based on their @ username. Though you are right, they still don't show up in your contacts list without a Phone number.
that's crazy...
so if You don't keep an active chat with that person, you can't find them in the future unless you remember their name.. terrible! - 
Or add them by phone number.
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This seems to be more of a chat for people who already know one another through other means.
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@dafyre said:
This seems to be more of a chat for people who already know one another through other means.
As opposed to ChatRoulette
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@dafyre said:
This seems to be more of a chat for people who already know one another through other means.
That seems to fit though, this is supposed to be a secure, encrypted end-to-end chat program right? It doesn't seem like this is a social networking system.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@dafyre said:
This seems to be more of a chat for people who already know one another through other means.
As opposed to ChatRoulette
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@Dashrender said:
OK one kinda draw back... looks like you can only add contacts based on phone numbers..
so is this just a ponzi scheme to get phone numbers?The Japanese messaging app Line required a phone number to setup similar to Telegram. But that system did create a unique "Line ID" that you could then use to add friends and such. Line has since expanded to allow accounts to be create with a FB authenticated login. I found that useful when I wanted to create Line accounts for my daughters to chat with their friends in Japan that had Line. Because my daughters did not have phone numbers yet.
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I'm going to try to move my family over to this. I'm tired of our Hangouts/Facebook Messenger mess
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It really isn't that bad. I think I like it better than Hangouts in some respects.
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Tinkered with Telegram today. It is a pretty nice app.
The security features are quite nice and the Secret Chat feature is very interesting.
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Found some of you

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I think it will be awesome for group chats. I have a group for both of our families and I'm trying to get everyone on it. That way planning is easier, and I hate group sms/mms stuff.
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@johnhooks said:
I think it will be awesome for group chats. I have a group for both of our families and I'm trying to get everyone on it. That way planning is easier, and I hate group sms/mms stuff.
Me too, but I can't imagine talking the family into using anything different.

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Okay, I'm on it. Works great on the Linux Mint desktop.
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They have a Chrome app also. I installed it in Linux on my chromebook, and then my wife pointed out she just installed the chrome app.
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@johnhooks said:
They have a Chrome app also. I installed it in Linux on my chromebook, and then my wife pointed out she just installed the chrome app.
Yeah, that's important. Without a ChromeApp, it would be pretty weak.
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The problem is, the people I want to talk to are either on skype or hangouts or facebook messenger.
