just going to copy here something i wrote on reddit ~~a few months~~ almost a year ago^[context]

i've been using telegram since it was released and ...i don't think i'll be recommending it to new users anymore

it's not just this announcement, but in general they seem to be really pushing the web3/blockchain/nft angle; along with sign in with telegram, payments through telegram, they feel like they're trying to become the western wechat

but as for this in particular; obviously all of those usernames are going to be bought by scammers. why would a user trust them if they're being bought and sold all the time? and why would a legitimate business buy them if most users won't trust them? businesses want consistent branding, not ephemeral minutiæ

nobody is thinking "oh yeah, my bank is the best, it's @bank on telegram" or "i think i'll switch to a new bank, but i don't know which. i guess i'll just message @bank and see what happens" or "i just got a message from @gift! i must have won the lottery!"

plus, according to these messages, they're taking usernames off users that already used them

most of my contacts are on telegram now, so i'm going to continue using it. but even aside from the encryption and privacy issues, i wouldn't encourage anyone to switch to telegram