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⚠️ Message from youtya:
First of all, I would like to apologize to any TSF member reading this. I was quite immature back then. While I remain a Telegram critic (though I continue to use it due to a lack of alternatives), I realize now that I should have expressed my opinions regarding Telegram and TSF policy directly to the team and left on more professional terms.
I also want to tell everyone: TSF isn't some deep, mysterious layer of the "Telegram iceberg." Don’t think I'm "cool" just because I'm ex-TSF. I'm just a regular person. Perhaps I was a bit childish and enjoyed the status back then, but now I no longer want to be associated with it.
1⃣ I would like to retrace with you the journey that led you to join the TSF and leave it by leaking a large amount of sensitive data. How did you first get involved with Telegram, and what did you like about the platform at the beginning?
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2⃣ How did you first hear about the TSF, and how long after that did you apply to join? Were you helped by anyone during this process?
I wanted to join the TSF because I was trying to dig into Telegram as deeply as possible. Between 2018 and 2020, the platform and its features were incredibly attractive to me. I was trying to figure out how everything worked internally, finding every Telegram-related channel or bot, and exploring every page of their website. One of those pages was tsf.telegram.org. I applied immediately.
3⃣ We know that it can take a very long time to be accepted as a Telegram supporter; sometimes even years. When you were finally accepted into the team, were you excited, or had you almost forgotten that you had even applied?
It took about 1.5 to 2 years from my first application to receive a response from @TelegramAuditions. I don't know the exact timeframe because I deleted my initial application and resubmitted a new one on March 21, 2022. I finally got a reply on November 22. I was just walking in the park when the message arrived. Words can't describe how happy I was, as I had almost forgotten I'd even applied. Of course, I had been prepared to be ignored, as that had happened before when Telegram was looking for Content Moderators and left many applicants without an answer after the test tasks.
I was interviewed that same day by Nick via the @TelegramAuditions account. The interview ended abruptly after I answered one of the questions. The next message I received was on December 24 - it was the onboarding instructions. My work began that day.
4⃣ How long did you serve as a TSF member before you began to realize that something was wrong?
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5⃣ Was there a specific tipping point that made the situation unbearable?
It took me about 1-2 weeks to realize that the TSF (at least the CIS segment) and Telegram itself were quite a mess. I was faced with a paradoxical mix of chaos and strict subordination. I can't recall every detail, but I was shocked by how Support handled questions: many were skipped and forgotten, or answered using unfitting templates. Despite being an unpaid volunteer (aside from a free Premium subscription once a month for meeting the quota), you are expected to maintain and even "beautify" Telegram's image. There is a very thin line between what is considered a correct or incorrect answer.
At the same time, Telegram began its aggressive monetization, and most new features were just minor client-side tweaks. I didn't like that direction. I continued answering questions, but simultaneously started leaking some data to my friends. Once I realized I was likely going to be kicked out, I collected more data. Shortly after, I received a message from Daria informing me of my dismissal.