It's not the technology design that's that important. It's the network effect, and peoples' default trust in megacorps over volunteer projects. Both of which cannot be solved with just a protocol.
replyHalf the problem is "felony contempt of business model", where the legal system is wielded against anyone who would create pro-consumer tools.
replyThis would be a natural role for the Post Office to take on, to provide a neutral ad-free, privacy-respecting messaging platform accessible to all.
replyI think the natural and equivalent role of the USPS would be an ISP, rather than a "messaging platform" itself.
replyWhen the US Constitution was drafted in 1787, authorizing the new Federal government to run a postal service, carrying letters and packages via horse rider/wagons was the state-of-the-art.
It was always relatively trivial to roll your own messaging service. And open protocols exist (and predate messenger)! The thing you can't (easily) replicate are the network effects.
replyThere are already alternatives to these products; what would adding some more change?
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