[tor-talk] Introducing Torsion, hidden service IM with real-world ambition

[John Brooks]

I’d like to present a project that I hope will interest some of you:

Torsion is a ready-to-use hidden service instant messaging client with bigger goals and better implementation than the previous work on this concept.

The goal [2] is to have a real solution for anonymous chat, with no servers to trust with your communication habits, that any reasonable person can use safely. I think this is a better way to meet those goals than the endless list of server-based encrypted messengers, including those that can integrate with Tor. The current version is a substantial improvement over (and not related to) TorChat, and I intend to quickly improve it from here to be more secure and more appealing to a broad audience.

It’s usable now; there are packages [3] for Windows and OS X [4], a configuration wizard similar to TBB, contact requests, and a protocol I hopefully won’t regret. I’m looking for people to try it out, validate my ideas and implementation, and help plan the future. I’ve met my first milestones; where to go from here is a decision I’d like to make with the interested community.

If you’re intrigued, please give it a try and add torsion:rs7ce36jsj24ogfw. I’m also responsive to email, github issues, and on OFTC as ‘special’. I’ve documented the major points of the design at [2], but I’m happy to answer questions and discuss.

[1] https://github.com/special/torsion
[2] https://github.com/special/torsion/blob/master/doc/design.md
[3] https://github.com/special/torsion/releases
[4] No linux packaging yet, see: https://github.com/special/torsion#downloading--building

- John
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 496 bytes
Desc: Message signed with OpenPGP using GPGMail
URL: <http://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tor-talk/attachments/20140326/a7a383af/attachment.sig>