Organizing on different platforms: Pros and cons

The following page responds to a request asking for advice on switching organizing platforms. This question has also been raised by others around the world to meet various activist needs. The original request to the HUB was regarding intergenerational challenges when choosing a platform, thus, lived experience is welcomed to improve this page. This page compiles content on general organizing platforms, platforms for online documentation and platforms for meeting online.

Organizing platforms

Whats app

Suggested uses:

Pros	Cons

Signal

Suggested uses:

• Organizing arrestable actions, or actions that involve sensitive information, or are higher risk for those involved (see our page on legal information or activists for more on risk assessment)
• Quick, secure messaging while an action is happening

Pros	Cons
Can be used to hold secure phone calls with up to 40 people

Email/protonmail

Suggested uses:

• Outreach to those outside your regular membership (i.e. those not involved in organizing directly, but that show up to your actions and/or support your group to a less frequent/engaged extent).
• Suggest switching to protonmail if your group is organizing arrestable actions, or actions that involve sensitive information, or are higher risk for those involved (see our page on legal information or activists for more on risk assessment)

Pros	Cons

Facebook messanger

Suggested uses:

Pros	Cons

Discord

Suggested uses:

Pros	Cons

Slack

Suggested uses:

• When working in multiple working groups, or if you have many different parts involved in your structure (i.e. social media, wellness, outreach etc).

Pros	Cons
	Fees involved for use if you'd like messages stored for more than 90 days.

Keybase

Suggested uses:

• Organizing arrestable actions, or actions that involve sensitive information, or are higher risk for those involved (see our page on legal information or activists for more on risk assessment)
• When working in multiple working groups, or if you have many different parts involved in your structure (i.e. social media, wellness, outreach etc).
• Alternative to keybase is Element (fees involved in use)

Pros	Cons

Tools for online documentation

Google drive

Suggested uses:

• For hosting information that does not need to be kept secure

Pros	Cons

Cryptpad

Suggested uses:

• For hosting information that should be kept secure 
• Alternative to cryptpad is Skiff (fewer document types than cryptpad)

Pros	Cons
Open-source, end-to-end encrypted

Tools for meeting online

Jitsi

If you have any suggested revisions or additional resources to share related to the above content, please email them to kenzie@lehub.ca.

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