Bugs and Suggestions

First of all I would like to open my message that I am fully aware of this problem. I also help moderate couple groups, some are large, some are smaller, and I am also often under attack from strangers, that's both including people sending me stickers, or straight up scams and worse things. I also have friends that suffer from it too.

But I also need to disagree with some of your points.

"We already asked and made noise with this topic back in 2016 or 2017... Probably no one will give a f*** about this."

This is is wrong and basically defeats your point. Because if "no one gives a damn about this" - why suggesting this again then? You know it's not true, I don't think adding this sentence works in your favor, but I understand the saltiness.

"Telegram Team lives in a bubble for years, they see things from another perspective as a New User that starts with Telegram, enters it's first massive Public Group and then it gets countless messages from bad people."

I can guarantee you that Telegram Team is aware of the problem. Don't you think this was one of the reason for implementing Anonymous Admins? So people aren't bothered in private?

So let's try breaking down why Telegram never actually added ability to block upcoming messages, at least in my opinion:

**Telegram is a messaging app** - What's the point of messaging app if
you can't message people? That's one of the arguments that are difficult
to swallow, because by design, the core of Telegram is ability to
contact people from all over the world. It's one of the reasons Telegram
grew rapidly in last couple of years. Here's one scenario that wouldn't
work out if people by default blocked non-contacts: Imagine me having
your phone number in my contact list, but you lost mine, we haven't
talked in years, maybe we were high school friends or whatever. I see,
you have a Telegram account but I can't message you to reconnect with
you, because you have it disabled.

I would like to remind everyone here that I would definitely want
ability to reduce getting amount of spam/scam/"hi/salom" I'm getting.
However, suggested solution here, in my opinion, goes against Telegram's
core principle of a "messaging app".

To add to it, I don't think "Archive and Mute" was a good solution too.
It's not even a solution, it will still create mess in your chatlist,
just won't put it right in your face. My "Archived chats" folder used to
have cause, it was place for me to put more "noisy" channels or groups
that I don't want to leave but I also don't want to be distracted by but
ever since I started being massively messaged it became a "Trashed
chats".

So what is the solution in my eyes?

We need ability to turn messages from strangers into requests for
communication that we can accept or reject. Turn "Contacts" option in
menu to "Contacts & Requests" that has badge with number of requests
awaiting decision. Before we accept/reject we should be able to see
common groups with that person to know where they are coming from.
Additionally we should be able to preview a message they sent to us with
that request (if there was any).

But this shouldn't be by default, if we don't want Telegram to die in
couple of years it must keep growing. People who join public groups are
very likely only a minority of users on Telegram. It's us who are in the
bubble. However, everyone should be able to set it as they want from
the start. Archive and Mute is flawed martyrian concept of "please
suffer enough so we can turn your Archive into Trashbin".

Fabian Pastor Oct 24, 2021

dot

-- why suggesting this again then?
I am salty, it's an issue that has
been there for too many years and i lost almost all my hope on this. I
still have a little bit left and therefore i tried to throw some words
out after someone asked the same old question one more time. It's sad to
say to those that ask about this issue: Telegram will not do anything
about this, your only option is to leave Public groups or change your
name and profile picture.
I did reported it many times to support and asked to those who asked to also do the same but here we are...

-- But this shouldn't be by default
Yeah, maybe you are right, i changed it after some users with the same thought.
In my opinion it's better to first have the privacy set to high and if you feel you don't need it then disable it.

The
main point stands, as i already said in other comments above. There is
an issue with Public Groups and Private Messages and SOMETHING more than
what we have now has to be done. Maybe not the way i say on the card
above but surely there has to be a way.

-- Don't you think this was one of the reason for implementing Anonymous Admins?
So why only care about admins and not maybe about females that are way more vulnerable??

-- **Telegram is a messaging app** - What's the point of messaging app if
you can't message people? That's one of the arguments that are difficult
to swallow, because by design, the core of Telegram is ability to
contact people from all over the world.[...]

Yes, you are right, Telegram is way more than a messenger to talk with friends and familly but the main reason people install Telegram is for precisely talk to Friends and Familly. They will not have any issue if this option would be enabled by default, they will be able to talk to you, add you to groups and when you feel ready to jump to Public Groups, Channels and explore the TRUE potential of Telegram then you'll see that you can enable or disable that random users contact you for no reason at all.

-- Here's one scenario that wouldn't work out if people by default blocked non-contacts: [...]

Telegram is free to add this feature with many perks as they want. They can allow you to contact users if YOU have them as contacts with the Phone, not only if THEY have you as contact. Also the main issue is still not contacts (mutual or not) the issue are random users that neither have your phone number and either you have theirs.
Just as solution to your case.

I agree with you that my approach is the simplistic one and it might require more thought on it. Maybe a different approach with the same goal.
I personally don't like being ask for permission to allow others to contact me.
To be honest? I would give users the choice to decide what the hell they want from Telegram instead...
I know i know: more options = dead kittens.. Still i don't like that thinking: It's like saying the user is not capable of think by himself that others have to do the choices for them. They are dumb and not capable of thinking so someone else (Telegram in this case) has to throw them everything in their mouth and make them swallow it they like it or not.
I love options and that's because i am here on Telegram because i can compile my own client and fucking do whatever i please even if Telegram forces me to do things as they think is right with their official clients. The point here is that even if Telegram doesn't like choices if you have the right skills you can add those choices by yourself.

But on Server Core features ( like the suggested in this card ) there is nothing an user can do even if they have the thechnical skills to do them.

Toku Oct 24, 2021

I agree with Dot on this one. What differentiates Telegram from others is the ability to reach out to people all around the world. If someone posted something interesting on a public forum, you can reach out to them and try to make a friend. If messages from non-contacts are blocked, then Telegram would become this narrow messenger only for communicating with friends and family. THAT is how Telegram would go downhill, I think.

What I don’t quite agree on is “turning messages from strangers into requests for communication”. If you’re getting a lot of messages and are fed up with the scams/gross pictures, how likely is it you would accept requests? Not very likely right? So we’re back to the same box. And requests for communication sound a lot like Facebook friend requests… :/

My suggestion: Keep everything as it is but block strangers from sending picture/video files. In other words, strangers can still contact you but can only send text based messages. After you’ve added them to your contact list, then they can send you pictures and videos.

Deleted Account Oct 24, 2021

https://bugs.telegram.org/c/3417 It would be a very good option

Toku

"Keep everything as it is but block strangers from sending picture/video files. In other words, strangers can still contact you but can only send text based messages. After you’ve added them to your contact list, then they can send you pictures and videos."

This solves nothing I'm afraid and causes more issues than not. Most of cryptoscammers never sent me any image at all. Also all the people that contacted me just to send me insults. What about the links? And why would you force me to add them as contacts? What if I want only my family as contacts so they see my profile picture and/or phone number? I use contacts very carefully, I don't add people who aren't very close to me and now I would have to so they can send me even a dumb meme? Too much.

"If you’re getting a lot of messages and are fed up with the scams/gross pictures, how likely is it you would accept requests? Not very likely right?"

Yes, not very likely, but you could just easily sieve through them, reject fast the obvious ones etc.

"And requests for communication sound a lot like Facebook friend requests… :/"

And what's wrong about it? We can do it better, I don't want notification center, I want to put in place that already exists, just is useless for the 99% of the time.

"And why would you force me to add them as contacts?"

I don't mean you have to add them as contacts. And there's no notification center. I was more thinking of, after you've chatted with them for a while and you think this person is ok, then you may want to add them to your contacts. It's only if and after you've added them as a contact that they can send you pictures/videos. You're still free to ignore them if you choose.

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