Assignment Review: #1 Using Bitmessage

IMPORTANT NOTE: Cheating, once again proved itself to be a worthless asshole. Because of my lack of researching BitMessage before completing the assignment, my oh-so-clever shortcut turned out to be a big mistake as you can read here.  So, I’ve included an update to my assignment review to include what I learned after I actually did what I was supposed to.

The Assignment:

Create an anonymous messaging account using Bitmessage and contact Mister B from it. Update: BitMessage and BitMessage.ch are NOT the same thing. Good to know.

Why I think it is Important:

I think this assignment is important to recognize and establish the importance of privacy/anonymity. We are living in a world where it seems like everything we do is monitored. Even if you aren’t involved in shady or criminal communications, don’t we have the right to have private conversations?

Do I feel the assignment was a Success or Failure?

This assignment was a successful failure because I was able to cheat the system by not doing my homework before completing the assignment. I also don’t really get the point of using Bitmessage because I don’t see the difference between using it and creating an anonymous hotmail account.

Update: I didn’t cheat the system. I’m not clever, I’m lazy. The difference between BitMessage and a hotmail account, is that with hotmail or any other email account like that (gmail, AOL, etc), your messages are open to be seen by Big Brother and they are stored on the hosts server. In other words, its not encrypted and therefore it’s not private. BitMessage doesn’t store your messages. In the end, cheating actually made me more aware of the importance of BitMessage, so I guess it wasn’t so bad…right?

How did this affect your thoughts on BitCoin?
It doesn’t really. I understand that they are both pioneer spokespeople for our right to privacy, but that doesn’t have any bearing on my thoughts of Bitcoin right now. Update: After learning that BitMessage is designed off the operating model for Bitcoin, I think it’s interesting that Bitcoin has influenced and aided in the creation of something in a different realm. 

How does this relate to my everyday life?

As of now, it doesn’t relate at all. I don’t personally have a use for “secret” messages anymore. I don’t write anything that I would be worried about some watchful eye reading or if it was stored on a server.
Update: But that’s not really the point is it? Whether or not people have something secret to say, shouldn’t dictate whether or not its okay for someone else to read or record it. But, the catch-22 is that, until it became more popular, I wouldn’t use it socially. The messages take a long time to send because of their encryption and authentication processes (called “work”), and once you are using the actual software (Read: Not using a website like bitmessage.ch to send the messages back and forth, but instead the actual email client software from your own desktop) you cannot send messages to anyone that doesn’t use the software. There are no “@blahblah.com” things at the end of the addresses, so messages can only be sent through the desktop program.

What other issues or thoughts did this assignment bring up?

Update: I’m obviously never going to try to cheat the system with this experiment/project again. Especially because if there had been any sensitive information sent back and forth for the first few days, I would have compromised the entire mission.

What resources did you use while researching this assignment?

BitMessage.ch – Where you can create a BitMessage account! (Update: This is not a BItMessage account, it’s a BitMessage.ch account. BIG DIFFERENCE.)

Update: Since I didn’t do my research the first go-round…

Let’s Talk Bitcoin:  EP12 – “You Get My BitMessage?” Much more interesting than the link below, but probably because its less on how to use it, and more on what it is.

Udemy.com: “Bitcoin or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Crypto” – Lessons 17 & 18 (Warning: These are extremely slow and boring lectures with a less-than-glamorous accompanying Power Point presentation — BUT it teaches you how to use the software well.)

Let’s Talk Bitcoin: Can BitMessage Replace Email?

BitMessage.org Where you can get the client software to start sending secret messages!

Day 5 – I Got Caught Cheating (or The Real BitMessage)

Day 5 – November 8, 2013

Cheaters never win. Although, I kind of feel like I did because there are some lessons you can only learn through making mistakes. I made a big mistake.

When I decided to bypass going through the resources on my first assignment, I totally fucked up. Instead of creating a secure, encrypted messaging account through BitMessage, I had actually just created a regular email account through a website. Had I been sending and/or receiving sensitive information, I could have seriously put myself or Mister B at risk.

I first had a hint that I wasn’t going to get away with my cheat when Mister B repeatedly kept asking how I was using Squirrel Mail. For the first few days I just replied with cheeky answers around being nutty on the “interwebs”. But, in each message, he kept asking. Finally, I told him I was using a website to send the messages. And that’s when he freaked out. Then I freaked out.

If I had done my homework, I would had known right away that using http://www.bitmessage.ch was a horrible move. I would have learned right away that BitMessage is actually a type of client software that you install onto your computer, not a third-party service. I would have learned right away why Mister B’s original email to me was from an address containing a “@bitmessage.ch” at the end.

But, I didn’t. So, almost a week later, here is the deal with BitMessage.

What is BitMessage?

Basically, its a anonymous messaging service based off the principles of Bitcoin.

How is it anonymous?

Regular email services like Gmail or Yahoo require you to sign up with personal details that are all stored on a central server somewhere — and all of those details are connected to your email address. It requires POP3 or STMP, etc.

BitMessage is a program that runs on your computer. There are no details required to get an account and nothing is stored on their server longer than 2.5 days.

How are the messages secret?

All of the messages sent through BitMessage are encrypted. Only the person you’ve elected to receive the message has the power to decode it. Think of it like its being sent out with one-half of those broken heart pendants. The message gets passed around to other possible recipients on the peer-to-peer network, trying to find the matching other half of the pendant, but only the intended receiver possesses the half-heart with perfectly fitting jagged edges. Therefore, only that recipient can open and decode your message. It’s true love.

What are some positives of BitMessage?

Well, besides the whole anonymous angle, one big plus is that there is no spam. None at all. You can also send out (called “broadcasting” newsletters or group emails to people across your network, blacklist and whiltelist addresses. Also, because it is a peer-to-peer network, your messages are not being stored or Big Brother’d at any point.

What are some negatives of BitMessage?

Well, one of the most obvious is that you can’t send a freaking message to anyone through it who doesn’t also have the software downloaded on their computer. That’s a real drag since it’s not a mainstream thing yet — hence why Mister B initially sent me a message through bitmessage.ch. Bitmessage.ch allows people to generate random email addresses that are similar to Bitmessage addresses and send quasi-anonymous/secure messages to people off the peer-to-peer network. However, because you are sending them over the interwebs (as I so eloquently put it earlier), they can be monitored and stored — kind of defeating the majority of the purpose. In this sense, I don’t think it’s much different than a nonsensical hotmail account.

Another annoying thing about BitMessage is how long it takes to send a message. The longer the message, the more encoding it must do before sending it. The delay can be a nail-biter for impatient people like myself.

It is also not efficient for organizing your inbox (it’s in its beginning stages, let’s cut it some slack) and there is no way to attach, well, attachments.  Wamp.

Can you really be totally anonymous with BitMessage?

No. But it’s one of the best options we’ve got at the moment. Unfortunately, the messages can be traced through IP addresses and the traveled route, so it is possible to ID the sender if really necessary. Although, I’m unclear on who has the ability to pick someone out of the line up.

Why should I use this then?

You don’t have to. But if you want to, it’s there. If you sign up, shoot me a message. I’m at: BM-2cVD8nxi31bvA2d8KEGx2mUzRNdAw3R7kS

Day 3- Assignment #1 // Confessions of Making Crypto-Contact.

Day 3 – Wednesday, November 6th, 2013

Assignment #1 – Create a BitMessage Account and Make Contact.

When I was younger, I loved to write notes in code. I had different codes with different people. Some of these codes were so elaborate that writing a simple four sentence message could take thirty minutes and end up looking like an ancient Egyptian inscription. But it was worth it. I liked the idea that I could write whatever I wanted and only the person I was sending it to could decode it. This is very similar to how BitMessage works.

In the most simplest of explanations, any message sent through BitMessage is encrypted and sent out across the entire network. In theory, everyone on the BitMessage network can see your message, but only the address you’ve sent it to has the power to decode it. To read more about BitMessage click here.

•     •     •

So, perhaps starting this project off cheating isn’t exemplifying the best of intentions (which I do actually have, I’m just…busy), but I made my decision and I am sticking to it.

My first assignment, laid out at the end of my secret message from Day 1, said this:

First assignment, if you choose to accept it, is learn about
bitmessage and contact me here.
BM-2rU8c14V1ADDRESSCHANGEDFORPOSTINGQGEcRME*

I know you can do it.

I look forward to this
experiment.

*This was a different address than from where the email was sent. The email is was sent from a similar looking BM-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx address with an “@bitmessage.ch” at the end of it.

I didn’t listen to anything. Instead, I decided to be super clever. I went to http://bitmessage.ch/, clicked “Register” in the upper left-hand corner, punched in a password and voila! made my Bitmessage account.

I signed into squirrel mail, plugged in the BM-email address in the email and reported for duty.

I was excited to be back on squirrel mail as it reminded me of the good ol’ days of 2003 when I was navigating my own website. I also felt proud to have finished my first assignment (and so cleverly!).

I’ll listen to the lessons later.

•     •     •

Update: Turns out cheating was stupid, but I did learn a valuable lesson. For a better description of what BitMessage actually is click here, and do it the right way. And remember, when you cheat you are only cheating yourself. Sigh.

Click here to read my Assignment Review Sheet for Assignment #1: BitMessage