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Big String is offering web-based IM that is completely secure and self-destructing. This means any message you send will disappear into the ether after it is sent. From the press release:
“Just ask a politician like New York Governor David Paterson, a celebrity like Charlie Sheen, or the American Idol contestant whose private pictures were spread around the Internet against her will. That’s why we created an application that now gives consumers back their privacy and control,” said Darin Myman, President and CEO of BigString.
Presumably you shouldn’t send naked pictures of Charlie Sheen to people in the first place, but that avoids talking about the real value of the service: avoiding censorship in dangerous places and/or IMing from work or insecure places. There is one fatal flaw. Each session can be screen grabbed as it happens. However, since the session occurs entirely in the browser, unless your attacker is obsessive about screen scraping you, you’re almost in the clear.
When you send a message, it disappears after a pre-set interval. That’s right: Big String makes it go up in animated smoke, right on your screen, and the service works in most browsers including Safari and Opera. If you need to do some comparatively untraceable IMing (Lauren: OMG Audrina!!! I found more naked pictures!!!!!! DON’T TELL HEIDI!), the service seems like a good fit.
BigString also offers an AIM plugin that encourages your friends to leave AIM and light up the BigString product to continue the conversation. It’s not quite mil-spec security, but it’s a clever solution to a thorny problem. They also offer Facebook and “exploding email” services, for those so inclined.
screen grabbing != screen scraping
This is absolutely absurd. You dont gain security form smoke and mirrors, and their CEOs reference of this technology preventing peoples private pictures from being spread around the Internet is completely incompetent.
If you have a need to secure your communications, use a proper cryptographical solution for secured communication.
Why are you even covering this in the first place? You’re pushing silicon snake oil.
This will be about as useful as the self-destructing sheets of paper given out in Get Smart.
If you actually want anonymity in online communications, use Off the Record. It encrypts, authenticates, but ensures that no message can actually be tied to you by a third party.
Brendan,
That’s a MUCH better solution. Additionally PGP provides an excellent product.
I went on and used it, it actually was pretty cool and i can definitely think of couple reasons to use it. Give it a try first you might find it useful.
I, for one, appreciated the Hills reference
It disappears with no trace? Prove it.
I’m guessing its logged in a database somewhere for future use.
I agree that this just sounds too much like a gimmicky product with no real substance. However, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Some people may find that a little protection of their privacy is all they need, or maybe they don’t know better. The problem with this target audience is that they are precisely the group who aren’t savvy enough to switch to another IM network.
If your eyes can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there.
I didn’t think much of this until I clicked through and saw these exact words:
“It can’t be printed”
“It can’t be saved”
“It can’t be screenshot”
Blatant and unscrupulous LIE. Of course it can be screen shot (and thus saved or printed). Anyone with even cursory computer knowledge should know that a browser plugin can’t alter the functionality of the underlying operating system.
Wow, snake oil indeed.
Yeah, this ain’t going anywhere.
This is pretty amazing….and no one thought of this before? Just tried it out and could not save stuff at all….sent some picts to my friend as a test and they all disappeared as promised….cant wait to have fun with this this IM program.
Obviously some astroturfing going on here. Take the site with a grain of salt.
To the guy early who said they can still screen capture it, can you prove it to me. I am trying it now and its not working. I guess they were telling the truth.
I tried it, it works well… its innovative and useful. If you have any technical knowledge and read how to program actually works, you will see that the conversations do “disappear.”
Hey I just signed up and it worked really well. It’s just like having a normal conversation. Once you say something it’s gone. Short of video taping the computer screen, or your non-average user trying to find a way to capture it, it says everything that they advertise.
Stop astroturfing this post, BigString.
New comment on your post #16349 “Big String Secures IM Messages”
Author : Ashley (IP: 71.250.233.65 , static-71-250-233-65.nwrknj.east.verizon.net)
E-mail : adebrino@gmail.com
URL :
Whois : http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/who.....250.233.65
Comment:
I tried it, it works well… its innovative and useful. If you have any technical knowledge and read how to program actually works, you will see that the conversations do “disappear.”
New comment on your post #16349 “Big String Secures IM Messages”
Author : VTFootballGrad (IP: 71.250.233.65 , static-71-250-233-65.nwrknj.east.verizon.net)
E-mail : VTFootballGrad@hotmail.com
URL :
Whois : http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/who.....250.233.65
Comment:
Hey I just signed up and it worked really well. It’s just like having a normal conversation. Once you say something it’s gone. Short of video taping the computer screen, or your non-average user trying to find a way to capture it, it says everything that they advertise.
Lol. What a bunch of douchebags.
Well…at least we now know that our email CAN BE PUBLISHED on here. What a bunch of douchebags these people are. So take THIS site with a grain of salt. Who do I talk to about this invasion of privacy??
These site is really terrible. I’m surprised you guys even wrote about them. They trade on the OTC for 0.18 cents. Go start their IM and look at FireBug — their making requests to the server by the second. Really insane stuff. I’m up over 500 requests in a matter of minutes.