The Encryption can be removed by a reply with plaintext.
This is quire a security risk next to unencrypted connections maintained in DeltaChat.
Unencrypted Friends needs therefore a special Icon.
Instead of a colored circle with image or initales of the name
the request is to have for unencrypted connections/friends a special icon:
This could be a circle with a black background and a white outer circle line and within a death symbol as a cross, we all know from death announcements in the newspaper.
Thanks for making unencrypted connections more aware.
As a Christian I don’t like the idea of using the Cross as a symbol for something bad (or worse than the other option, like the lack of encryption is worse than it’s presence). Death is marked by the Cross because for us there is hope that a person is in a better world, not a worse one.
I like the idea of doing the reverse, currently we mark encrypted messages with a tiny padlock most people don’t even realize the messages are encrypted and think it is an small purse or shop bag if they notice at all, while if messages are unencrypted they don’t even notice as there is just the subtle absence of the small “purse”
it would be better when messages are encrypted (this should be 99% of the case anyways, messages look normal without any symbol like in other encrypted messengers like Signal or whatsapp (that is why most users would expect messages to be encrypted if they don’t have any symbol) and mark with some exclamation/warning icon and maybe some color signal as well in the message bubble/icon or so messages that are unencrypted
The obelus mark was invented some centuries before Jesus, and is certainly not intended to represent crucifixion or Christianity or a Christian grave marker.
The mark in question is correctly known as an obelus or dagger; it is not normally called a “cross” in English (it isn’t obvious in the font and font size of this forum, but it tapers to a point at the bottom). I’m guessing Andylenn’s first language is German, in which the mark is sometimes called “Kreuz” (which has a broader meaning than the English “cross”) or “Langkreuz”, but also “Dolch” (dagger) and “Obeliscus”.
In Unicode, U+2020 is the obelus, and U+271D, E, and F are Latin crosses of the sort Mokile and Andylenn are probably thinking of. There are more Unicode characters for other types of Christian crosses.
An obelus is traditionally used to indicate something a bit dubious which should be treated with caution, something excised or removed in some version, and also deaths and other endings. Obelism - Wikipedia, Obelus - Wikipedia and Dagger (mark) - Wikipedia have more details.
Like the Roman alphabet you are reading, the obelus is pre-Christian in origin, but the people using it were, for centuries, mostly Christian scholars. It has a strong traditional role in Christian exegesis (the study of Christian texts). It would be hard to avoid obelus marks when seriously studying theology, or most textual academic subjects (I’ve never heard of anyone trying).
Flagging unencrypted connections is a good idea. Ideally it should be obvious to a first-time user, unfamiliar with the symbols and conventions of the user interface, to tell whether a connection is encrypted or not. Changing the background of an unencrypted conversation, maybe by printing a watermark like “UNENCRYPTED UNENCRYPTED UNENCRYPTED UNENCRYPTED” diagonally across it, would be obvious.