Hey, howdy, hallo,
With the holiday season here, I thought it might be a good time to cover a few techniques I use when trying to convince people to switch to Signal. Signal is an encrypted messaging service for instant messaging, voice, and video calls. It’s my preferred method of communication at this time.
I know there’s alternate’s and other options that are better for XYZ reason, but this is what works well for me.
Side note — Signal is actively testing usernames, which I’m extremely excited about.
It can be tough to get a non-tech user to switch over to an alternate communication platform. So when you do, make sure you plan to stick with the one you get them to adopt. Many people are not like us, they don’t like change. The quickest way to turn someone off to something in tech is to have them switch platforms every few months.
It’s also considerate that before you ask someone to put their time and effort into something, that you’re relatively certain about using it.
If I recall correctly, I got this one from Michael Bazzel. We’re in the age of instant communication. When you text someone, you generally expect a response in a reasonable amount of time. You may have spent weeks or months telling your friends/family about all the benefits of using Signal, but they just don’t care. Which is fine, we all have our process in our privacy journey.
Instead, change an aspect of your communication that is important to them. The next time this individual sends you a message or calls you, don’t respond. Wait longer than you normally do, then get back to them. I like to start with 8 hours, then work up to 24 hours. When you do reply, I like to use the following phrase:
“Hey, sorry for the delay. I changed my phone setup, so I don’t get text message notifications as quick”.
If you say something similar a few times, either they will ask how to hear from you sooner or you can say on Signal I get notifications quicker.
I think this one is useful around the holiday season, since you may be more likely to see people AFK (Away From Keyboard) this time of the year. I used this method a few months ago when I was visiting my best friend. We have voice calls regularly, and I’ve been explaining the benefits of secure communication to them.
They weren’t opposed to using Signal, they just aren’t that tech-savvy. So while I was visiting them, I downloaded the app, set it up, and explained to them how to use it. We’ve been using Signal exclusively ever since. This was an important reminder to me of just how vital it is to take the friction out of the process if you’re attempting to get someone to try something new.
Don’t give up, and have patience. Not everyone is as motivated as us, and it’s critical to meet them where they’re at. At this point, I have nearly all my primary contacts using Signal, and I was able to get the last few using these two methods.
I hope you had a great November 🦃, see you in December!
-Josh
This site was sent to me by a reader last month. It’s a neat trivia game using Wikidata where you place different historical events on a timeline.
🖥️ How to install GrapheneOS on Google Pixel Tablet - If you purchased the Pixel Tablet and were looking for a video guide showing the installation, this is for you.
🖥️ Pixel Tablet Unboxing and Initial Impressions - The Pixel tablet has finally arrived! 12 hours after I received it in the mail, the initial build of GrapheneOS was ready for it.
👨💻 Like most things, my coding project is taking longer than expected. I’m hoping to have it done soon™, in a few months.
"Trying to solve a problem before being taught the solution leads to better learning, even when errors are made in the attempt."
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