# Can true private messages be implemented?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [4월 6, 2015, 7:32오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240 "2015-04-06T07:32:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 2

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### Author: ![sam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sam/32/102149_2.png) [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [4월 6, 2015, 10:57오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240/21 "2015-04-06T22:57:42Z")

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Its actually a pretty well-solved problem PGP has been with us for quite a while, the issue around private conversation is that its just too technically challenging to participate in it cause the toolchains and software to facilitate it are terrible.

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### Author: ![chamunks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/chamunks/32/73257_2.png) [@chamunks](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chamunks)
#### Post date: [4월 6, 2015, 11:03오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240/22 "2015-04-06T23:03:08Z")

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What if we did have asymmetric keys. They have passwords on them why not have a system where the private key is SSL’d over to your browser from the server where you decrypt the Private key client side. Which then allows you to decrypt 1v1 conversations. But if you want to exit the realm of a 1v1 conversation it then is stated clearly as viewable by the mods/admins?

The password then becomes the weak link so if someone did obtain the PGP private key from the server and your password from you then you have a problem. From what I understand solutions like hush mail and other things like that have had something like this for ages.

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### Author: ![Mittineague](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/mittineague/32/114259_2.png) [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [4월 6, 2015, 11:07오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240/23 "2015-04-06T23:07:39Z")

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Wouldn’t it just be easier to Message a member with  
“Can I email you about something private?”

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### Author: ![chamunks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/chamunks/32/73257_2.png) [@chamunks](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chamunks)
#### Post date: [4월 6, 2015, 11:14오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240/24 "2015-04-06T23:14:33Z")

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Putting myself in danger of sounding like a smug ass, I’ll quote a few relevant tidbits. Hopefully this doesn’t come off poorly.

> [@Mittineague](#):
>
> “Can I email you about something private?”

> [@sam](#):
>
> Hint @downey, guess what else is not private, every email you have on GMail, Snowden revealed that the NSA have a firehose into GMail and so on.

I mean as it stands its not really within the scope of what I imagine this project is about. Its not intended to be a safe haven forum software but it would be really nice to have.

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### Author: ![Mittineague](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/mittineague/32/114259_2.png) [@Mittineague](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mittineague)
#### Post date: [4월 6, 2015, 11:24오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240/25 "2015-04-06T23:24:24Z")

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My point is if the concern is that Admins aren’t trusted, take care with what is posted.

If you want 100% privacy, well, welcome to the 21st century. Unless you keep it in your head it’s “out there”

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### Author: ![sam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sam/32/102149_2.png) [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [4월 6, 2015, 11:29오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240/26 "2015-04-06T23:29:35Z")

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I see “private conversation” as a completely different feature, it can be done, it is done daily by many people, but there are **very few** pieces of software out there that allow you to engage in private conversation without jumping through enormous amounts of hoops.

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### Author: ![kpfleming](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/kpfleming/32/116414_2.png) [@kpfleming](https://meta.discourse.org/u/kpfleming)
#### Post date: [4월 7, 2015, 3:08오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240/27 "2015-04-07T15:08:18Z")

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You are correct, GnuPG and other PGP-based systems _can_ be used to accomplish much of what is requested here. However, you reiterated the point that I made: these tools are far from easy to use, and most importantly, there is _nothing_ hosted. Making a hosted system that provides enough ease of use for your Aunt Martha to be able to use it, but still provides the desired level of security, is the real challenge.

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### Author: ![chapel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/chapel/32/122414_2.png) [@chapel](https://meta.discourse.org/u/chapel)
#### Post date: [4월 7, 2015, 11:02오후 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240/28 "2015-04-07T23:02:48Z")

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I haven’t read everything here, but if it is an external plugin, you could leverage something like this:

> **[Keybase.io](https://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/201x/2014/03/19/Keybase)**

Keybase solves the issue of verifying keys, so maybe the plugin could hook into keybase and only users that have hooked up their profile from keybase could verify each other.

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### Author: ![sam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sam/32/102149_2.png) [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [3월 9, 2020, 6:16오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240/29 "2020-03-09T06:16:22Z")

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네, 이건 가능할 뿐만 아니라 실제로 구현되었습니다! 따라서 이 이슈를 닫겠습니다.

> [@Discourse Encrypt (deprecated)](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-encrypt-rfc/107918):
>
> play_button Original Plugin Description Last edited by @david 2024-12-03T15:46:08Z (UTC) play_button Check document

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![sam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sam/32/102149_2.png) [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [3월 9, 2020, 6:16오전 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240/30 "2020-03-09T06:16:32Z")

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[이전 페이지](https://meta.discourse.org/t/can-true-private-messages-be-implemented/27240.md?page=1)
