Comparison of zoom and jitsi request

[Bret Busby]

On 18/8/23 01:07, Bret Busby wrote:
> On 17/8/23 16:38, Ralf Mardorf via ubuntu-users wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> it's funny that I see this thread about Zoom this morning. I hate it to
>> get forced all the times to use crap such as Zoom.
>>
>> Zoom vs something else sounds to me like choosing between pest and
>> cholera. While providing less features, Jitsi suffers from CVEs, too.
>> Without a doubt, Zoom is one of the worst, if not the worst, application
>> in this area, which makes other applications that are less bad still not
>> acceptable.
>>
> 
> I do not know the term "CVE's".
> 
> To quote an infamous Australian member of the feral parliament, "Please 
> explain".
> 
>> This morning I received a phishing call. When asked about my computer, I
>> didn't answer "yes", but instead asked why she wanted to know. Be that
>> as it may, it is conceivable that I said the word “yes” in German, my
>> native language, colloquially something like “yes, listen, this
>> conversation is going nowhere, I’ll hang up now”. My analog phones don't
>> show phone numbers, but the call was definitely from abroad. I kept the
>> call short for a few seconds and gave no address or other information.
>> But the fact that I once said “yes” and was already forced to attend
>> webinars conducted via fine Zoom, or that the unemployment office forced
>> me to disclose vast amounts of data via fine job listing platforms etc.,
>> increases the risk that this "yes" on the phone lead to a washing
>> machine being delivered to me once a month.
>>
>> It's not a joke, things like this happen. Each time something like this
>> happens, they talk about careless consumers. It never happened to me,
>> but I wouldn't be surprised, if this happens to me, too.
>>
>> One of the problems with Zoom is, that it's seemingly not for free as in
>> beer to form working groups, but webinars are sometimes given by people
>> who don't want to pay for it, hence the participants need to exchange
>> phone numbers via Zoom to work in groups by telephone.
>>
>> IOW I don't belong to the careless consumers, but we all get forced to
>> participate in stupid things, such as meetings via Zoom.
>>
>> Btw. the phishing call started with a woman claiming (in completely
>> broken German) that my computer had been hacked. It's not, but even if
>> it were, what's a concern about that? If my computer were ever actually
>> hacked, I would have to restore the computer to the state it was in
>> before it was hacked. All data that could be tapped has already been
>> tapped from Zoom and job exchanges etc. anyway.
>> A hacked computer shouldn't be the end of the world any more than light
>> rain. To put it very simply, you should of course unplug backup drives
>> before Zoom meetings or thunderstorm.
>>
> 
> As I would not answer any call on my cellphones, from a number that I do 
> not recognise, or, respond to any email messages that tell me that my 
> computer has been hacked and that they have evidence of me doing things 
> that I have never done, which will be revealed if I do not give them 
> bitten coins (I do not bite coins, and, would not use coins in horses' 
> bits (a part of a bridle), I would not, if using video calling software, 
> become involved in any call, where I do not know sufficiently, the caller.
> 
>> You can order up to 5 "Webcam-Sticker" for free as in beer:
>> https://www.bmfsfj.de/bmfsfj/service/publikationen/webcamsticker-karte-top-secret-96100
>>
>> I wonder if the picture does show such a "Webcam-Sticker". If so, then
>> perhaps it would be better to uninstall the driver.
>>
> 
> I do not have webcams facing anything that would be of interest - they 
> are either closed (sliding thing), or, on a laptop that does not have a 
> webcam slide, when not closed, the webcam faces the keyboard, Perhaps, 
> some deranged people get thrills from looking at webcam captures of 
> keyboards?
> 
>> In a nutshell: If possible don't use Zoom or anything else. If you are
>> forced to participate in webinar or team meeting, you don't have a
>> choice at all.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Ralf
>>
> I have only used videocalling software, a couple of times, in the last 
> ten-twenty years - it was before zoom existed, I think. My siblings 
> apparently have weekly or otherwise fairly regular, online zoom 
> meetings, and, whilst I have not yet been involved, with the time 
> differences, and a number of other reasons, with what I had read, I am 
> wondering about recommending them switching to jitsi, which I why I 
> started the thread.
> 
> One of my brothers died, about ten years ago, from a nasty form of 
> cancer, and, during his last couple of, or, few, months, I managed to 
> engage in a Skype call with relatives visiting him at his house, and, 
> that call involved my last contact with him, and, I think, the last time 
> that I had visual contact with any of my siblings.
> 
> It is unlikely that I will be in the physical presence of any of my 
> siblings or their descendants, again, and videocalling software can 
> allow audio-visual communication with relatives who I might not get to 
> see, or, to see again.
> 
> ..
> Bret Busby
> Armadale
> West Australia
> (UTC+0800)
> ..............
> 
> 

I note that, from Wikipedia, both jitsi and zoom, are headquartered in 
California, USA.

Unfortunately, not being headquartered in Europe (I understand that 
jitsi originated in Europe, but, got sold to Atlassian, which sold it to 
8x8, headquartered in California, USA), I believe, means that users of 
each, are not protected by the European Union GDPR.

So, jitsi, in that regard, appears to have gone like the Opera web 
browser, Opera originating in Norway, and, sold to and now run by the 
Chinese Imperial Army / unnamed spy agency.

It is rather disappointing.

..
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
(UTC+0800)
..............