Use of Telegam Messenger

[Abhishek Ghatge]

Telegram is a Cross Platform Messenger Service that's Open Source. As this group supports the use and spread of Open Softwares, I would suggest the members of the group to make use of Telegram Messenger. There are many reasons to prefer Telegram than the Traditional Messengers.

I have tried to enlist them here.

It happens most of the time that people try to follow the vogue, and that’s something I will try to go against in next few words. Some devout What’s App Messenger Users may not be even interested in reading the following lines, but this is the strength of fear of being ostracised which also fuels a vogue.
Let’s get to the point under consideration:

1. Cloud Based Messaging:
Telegram is a Cloud based Messenger, thus, this feature alone opens gate to many desirable features. It lets an user to access Telegram from multiple devices with the same account and even at the same time. So, no need to worry about taking a Back Up of Conversation all the time, or even when you have got a new phone  just install the app and all your Conversations appear in your new phone as they were previously. 

2. Secure Messaging:
Messages sent through Telegram are secured with Telegram’s encrypted Protocol, also, a huge amount of money is announced for the person who can decrypt the messages sent through Telegram. One can even start a Secret Chat with a person, where the messages have additional security features such as  self-destruct after the user set time.

3. Cross-Platform and Web-Browser:
Telegram is available for almost every Platform, not only for Android, iOS, Windows Phone among Smartphones but also for Windows, Linux and Mac Desktops and Laptops. Not only for every Platform, one can even access Telegram through Web-Browser, which can be quite helpful when one doesn't have a Data Connection or Wi-Fi Connection to Smartphone.Thus, you can access Telegram from any device you are currently working with.

4. Ability to share any type of File:
Telegram grants the user the ability to share any type of file, be it the famous pdf file, or Word, Excel or Power Point files from you Workplace, or an apk  or exe file or any other file.
Many a times people who follow the vogue will send the screenshots of the pdf file through Whats App but won’t  install Telegram to send the actual pdf file.

5. Open Source:
Telegram Source Code is available on their website, so, it’s good for the Developers who wish to make the changes and experiment the way they wish.

6. No need of Contact Number:
Two Telegram Users can communicate with each other even if they don’t have each others Contact Number through Username set to their respective Telegram Account. Thus, this can be an additional Security feature for those who don’t wish to share their Contact Number.

7. Additional Security Features:

i. Passcode Lock: It allows the users to Lock your Conversations with a Passcode so, you don’t need to install another App Lock App to make your Conversations invisible from snoopers.

ii. Two-Step Verification: If you are worried that your Account can be accessed from some other device without being known to you provided that person has your login details and your Phone  then here’s a solution to your problem. Two-Step Verification asks the user to enter a Password that can be set from Settings other than the one that is received by SMS from Telegram while logging in.

iii. Active Sessions: You can terminate all the active Sessions going on under your Account from multiple devices from the device in front of you.

8. Support:
If you have any dilemma  about any feature of the app, then you can contact through Support Tab in Settings and you will be connected to a representative, who will try to answer your query within a day.

9. Service Notifications:
Telegram will notify you whenever your account is accessed through a device or any change is made to any of the Settings.

10. Other Features:

i. You can communicate with yourself, this may seem absurd but you can use this feature in many ways such as to Transfer a file wireless from one device to another, to store a piece of information or even to write Diary.

ii. You can enter a keyword in Telegram In-App Search Option and all the references of that word from any conversation will be displayed to you, thus it can be useful when you are searching for a information that you saved in Conversation with yourself.

iii. Smart links: They provide you with a brief information of the link the you are about to open, you can understand it but by practically using it.

iv. Reply: One can select a particular text in a conversation and reply to it, so, that there isn't misinterpretation, mostly when the conversation is within a group.

v. Pop up Notifications: Whenever a message is received then a pop up notification will come on screen. Though this feature is customisable.

vi. Bots: Bots are AI users which can perform specific function like a Image Bot will fetch you an image of the keyword you fed to it. Telegram allows us to create our own Bots.

vii. Channels: One can create a Channel or a join a Channel; it's accessible to people worldwide and there isn't any limit on number of Channel Members.

There are few other features that have missed to include.
These features are something more that you gain access if you steer towards Telegram Messenger.

I have attached the screenshots of the Telegram UI with this Post.

Here is link to Telegram website:

https://www.telegram.org/

[Sankarshan Mukhopadhyay]

On Tue, Oct 13, 2015 at 8:50 PM, Abhishek Ghatge <abhi...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Telegram Source Code is available on their website, so, it’s good for the
> Developers who wish to make the changes and experiment the way they wish.

<https://telegram.org/faq#q-why-not-open-source-everything>


--
sankarshan mukhopadhyay
<https://about.me/sankarshan.mukhopadhyay>

[Pirate Praveen]

Only Telegram client is Free Software, server is not. It is sad many Free Software enthusiasts fall for telegram trap.

This is another centralized service like WhatsApp. The only advantage over WhatsApp is, no need to reverse engineer. There is already Free Software clients for WhatsApp.

You cannot run your own telegram server. Though I heard they have plans to release server side as Free Software.

You are dependant on a single company for service. It is centralized design. With services like xmpp, anyone can join the network.

Only secret chats are end to end encrypted, meaning all normal communications are stored on the server as plain text.

I suggest kontalk or xmpp client like conversations.

Kontalk uses Open PGP for end to end encryption. It is very easy to setup and use.

Conversations has OMEMO encryption, which is end to end and supports multiple devises.

The only extra steps are signing up for an account and finding friends. If you have a diaspora account on a pod with xmpp chat enabled, both these are solved to a large extend (chat is still alpha in diaspora and I hope to see all pods offering xmpp chat very soon).

Kontalk does not have groups yet, but it is being developed.

XMPP has conferences which is very close to groups.

If you are already using xmpp or want to try, join fosscommunity.in@chat.yax.im
--
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.