Donate to Delta Chat, Right in the App

Feature Proposal
1

From a technical perspective, Delta Chat is the communication tool the world has been waiting for. Of all the projects I’ve come across, it’s the smartest and most thoughtfully designed. It’s also the easiest for everyday users to get started with and to use. Delta Chat makes secure, decentralized communication possible, free from the control of big tech companies.

As I see it, the main challenge for Delta Chat isn’t technical. The technology is already there. The real challenge is growing the user base, and that’s something we can only achieve together. It’s a cause I’m genuinely excited to support.

Whether we like it or not, money matters. Financial resources are one of the most important levers for moving the project forward. That’s why I welcome the idea of adding a call to action in the Delta Chat app that lets users donate directly to the project.

Right now, Delta Chat receives about $96 per week through Liberapay and has 156 backers on Open Collective. I’m convinced we can increase these numbers dramatically. To get there, we need to make giving even easier and help users realize that their support makes a real difference.

Delta Chat is great just the way it is, and it doesn’t need to measure itself against anyone else. Still, there’s inspiration to be found elsewhere. Signal, for example, occasionally asks its users for donations right inside the messenger. I don’t find this pushy or annoying at all. It’s simply well-crafted communication, and it helps Signal raise more than $20 million a year.

Let’s make supporting Delta Chat as easy as using it.

I’ve sketched a rough first draft of an in-app donation flow below. All texts are placeholders, and I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

delta-chat-donation-flow
delta-chat-donation-flow1920×1320 234 KB

2

What makes it necessary to be in-app? Why can’t it be just a web page? I mean a periodic “please donate” banner or notification makes sense, but the donation flow doesn’t have to be integrated IMO, for simplicity.

FYI currently we have a periodic “Device Message” that links to the donation page:

3

Thanks for pointing this out, that’s helpful context.

It’s great to see that a donation request is already built into the app.

If I read the code correctly, the current device message is effectively shown only once:

        add_device_msg(context, None, Some(&mut msg)).await?;
        i64::MAX

After the message is sent, the next check is set to i64::MAX, so it never comes back. That’s why I think it should be a) recurring and b) more prominent.

On b): in my opinion, the request shouldn’t be just another regular message in the device chat. There it blends in with everything else and is easy to overlook. A dedicated, visually highlighted element as shown in my mockup communicates much more directly and makes clear that this is something different and important.

The current donation performance could tell us whether what’s done today is already enough.

As for in-app vs. web page: a web page is absolutely an option and probably faster to implement, so it could be a good first step. But I don’t think this is purely a technical question of what’s easier to build. When money is involved, the user flow needs to be carefully designed. Even small moments of uncertainty lead people to drop out right away. A natively integrated flow creates noticeably more trust, while an external page that users have never seen before lacks that trust, and we’d likely lose a significant share of people along the way.

4

I absolutely HATE (and I mean four letter words with caps) the builtin begware donation reminder of Signal. I strongly oppose this idea and sentiment of injecting recurring begware into the app. It could be added as a one-time device message when the app upgrades, but not recurring on a timer.

5

I understand your feeling, and I know many people find these reminders annoying. Still, donations are a big help for the project.

To respect that, we could add a switch in the settings that turns the reminder off for good. So if you can’t or don’t want to contribute financially, you can remove it from your view at any time, permanently.

6

I reject your phrasing and attitude - why would I donate from within an anonymous, decentralized app using a payment method which unmasks me? I donate via other means which has no connection to the app (and indeed, Signal in the past). geez.

7

I’m trying to have a discussion on the substance, where different perspectives can be brought in. I find this dismissive tone off-putting.

8

In a state under the rule of law, financial flows generally need to be transparent. That applies whether you donate in-app or elsewhere. And a payment made from within the app has no connection to your chat account, so your anonymity in Delta Chat stays untouched.

9

I think a “Buy Me a Coffee” button in the app would actually make sense. A donation feature like that should be as low-barrier as possible—meaning no need to visit a separate website or register anywhere.

The downside, of course, is that a portion of the money would go to Apple or Google, but all in all, more people might donate than do now.

10

30% of donations would go to apple, so no thanks, better just open a website where people can find donations options, better to lose some donations than give a single dollar to Apple :confused:

and handling payments in-app is always more complicated legal-wise