{"slug": "columba", "name": "Columba", "category": "communication", "category_name": "Email and chat", "description": "", "recommenders": 3, "commenters": 3, "warners": 0, "score": 2.621, "rising": -0.98, "first": "2026-01-20", "latest": "2026-05-16", "why": "it gets better with software like the Android messenger Columba", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 3, "neutral": 0, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "it gets better with software like the Android messenger Columba", "kind": "", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": "github.com/torlando-tech/columba", "official_url": "https://github.com/torlando-tech/columba", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Columba"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 770663100, "item_id": 48166443, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48166443", "by": "koziserek", "date": "2026-05-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Contribute or implement something using GrapheneOS, Nix/NixOS, Immich, Tailscale/Headscale, Home Assistant, SQLite, BespokeSynth, OpenStreetMap, Organic Maps, Columba, FluffyChat.", "excerpt": "Try toying with ideas & projects which give back agency to the user. Read manifestos from Anytype [0] and Reticulum [1]. Contribute or implement something using GrapheneOS, Nix/NixOS, Immich, Tailscale/Headscale, Home Assistant, SQLite, BespokeSynth, OpenStreetMap, Organic Maps, Columba, FluffyChat. Maybe run local LLM and integrate it with your workflows/lifeflows? Hardcore is not dead. [2] 0 https://anytype.io/why/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: When did computers stop being fun?"}, {"id": 766070273, "item_id": 47879392, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47879392", "by": "lukeasch21", "date": "2026-04-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "the fantastic new companion app Columba [3]", "excerpt": "I would absolutely encourage everyone reading this to check out Reticulum [1] if you haven't already. I believe the base project might be in need of new maintainers(?) at the moment and the main dev has some very strong takes, but it is a very well-thought out approach to distributed networking at the protocol layer. The existing implementations out there include a desktop app which can function over the internet (IP", "context": "", "use_case": "messaging over Reticulum", "switched_from": "", "story": "MeshCore development team splits over trademark dispute and AI-generated code"}, {"id": 747038737, "item_id": 46689921, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46689921", "by": "snickerer", "date": "2026-01-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "it gets better with software like the Android messenger Columba", "excerpt": "Reticulum is a production-ready full network stack. Cryptography and anonymity are first-class citizens there. It is transport-layer agnostic, not just tailored for LoRa. I like it, but is see two main problems that prevent the wide adaption, and they are related: 1. The library is written in Python. If you want to design phone apps, Linux server daemons in C, or embedded software (for example for the Lilygo T-Deck) ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Reticulum, a secure and anonymous mesh networking stack"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["messaging over reticulum"], "compared": [{"slug": "reticulum", "name": "Reticulum", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48164173", "title": "Ask HN: When did computers stop being fun?", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47878117", "title": "MeshCore development team splits over trademark dispute and AI-generated code", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46686273", "title": "Reticulum, a secure and anonymous mesh networking stack", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-05": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "quotes": [{"id": 770663100, "item_id": 48166443, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48166443", "by": "koziserek", "date": "2026-05-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Contribute or implement something using GrapheneOS, Nix/NixOS, Immich, Tailscale/Headscale, Home Assistant, SQLite, BespokeSynth, OpenStreetMap, Organic Maps, Columba, FluffyChat.", "excerpt": "Try toying with ideas & projects which give back agency to the user. Read manifestos from Anytype [0] and Reticulum [1]. Contribute or implement something using GrapheneOS, Nix/NixOS, Immich, Tailscale/Headscale, Home Assistant, SQLite, BespokeSynth, OpenStreetMap, Organic Maps, Columba, FluffyChat. Maybe run local LLM and integrate it with your workflows/lifeflows? Hardcore is not dead. [2] 0 https://anytype.io/why/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: When did computers stop being fun?"}, {"id": 766070273, "item_id": 47879392, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47879392", "by": "lukeasch21", "date": "2026-04-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "the fantastic new companion app Columba [3]", "excerpt": "I would absolutely encourage everyone reading this to check out Reticulum [1] if you haven't already. I believe the base project might be in need of new maintainers(?) at the moment and the main dev has some very strong takes, but it is a very well-thought out approach to distributed networking at the protocol layer. The existing implementations out there include a desktop app which can function over the internet (IP", "context": "", "use_case": "messaging over Reticulum", "switched_from": "", "story": "MeshCore development team splits over trademark dispute and AI-generated code"}, {"id": 747038737, "item_id": 46689921, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46689921", "by": "snickerer", "date": "2026-01-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "it gets better with software like the Android messenger Columba", "excerpt": "Reticulum is a production-ready full network stack. Cryptography and anonymity are first-class citizens there. It is transport-layer agnostic, not just tailored for LoRa. I like it, but is see two main problems that prevent the wide adaption, and they are related: 1. The library is written in Python. If you want to design phone apps, Linux server daemons in C, or embedded software (for example for the Lilygo T-Deck) ", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Reticulum, a secure and anonymous mesh networking stack"}]}