If a "decentralized" messager needs donations to a centralized source providing centralized architecture to exist, I don't think it deserves to exist at all.

If the fundraising is successful, the foundation would be able to continue active development of Session, including launching Session Pro and Session Protocol v2.

If it is unsuccessful, the lack of funding would mean the foundation is not able to support Session in any capacity and will need to be shut down. As a result, Session would be removed from the app stores, and critical infrastructure like the Session file server, push notification server and seed nodes will go offline.

Insult to injury: they're going to use your donations to create a paid plan.

(And if they don't get enough money, what? Will they return the donations?)

1.7M MAU and a $1M goal for a year of funding is only $1/user/yr. Seems pretty achievable, but then again people really don't like paying for things once they're used to getting it for free.

I haven't used session, but I hope for the health of the secure messaging community they can hit their goal.

Honestly there are too many private messengers. Less is more. Let it die.

I gave 5€ but now the app crashes on launch. I had moved a couple friends over to it because I liked their decentralized setup. It just lacked enough of the dumb features to family to abandon WhatsApp. I guess DeltaChat is the next viable solution? Signal is still my main driver but I want a Plan B in case that goes pear shaped. Bummer for Session. Really wanted that to work out.

This is why I say most people promising to be the hero with their centralized (or fake decentralized but still centralized) private messenger, especially ones you have to pay them to use should not be trusted and you should not use their product.

The way you become the hero is making something open source, and interoperable that can be hosted without you. Most centralized "privacy" products don't do this, because them being the hero is a marketing tactic to seem altruistic. Which is why I'm inherently skeptical of projects like this, which aim to provide a solution while being the centralized gatekeepers of it.