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Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

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Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#271

Post by gonzalohm »

reaperducer wrote: post #268
diggan wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What is the reason for the popular appeal of using Instagram for messaging? Same reason people use any social network: because your friends, family and/or people you otherwise/somehow care about are there.

Same reason people use any social network: because your friends, family and/or people you otherwise/somehow care about are there. If they're on Instagram, aren't they necessarily also on SMS, plus a billion other people? All ad-free?

SMS is stuck in the past, even with RCS. Apple has used SMS as the wall of their walled garden for years. As an android user, it was extremely annoying to text to Apple devices (and still is to some degree)

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#272

Post by diggan »

reaperducer wrote: post #268
diggan wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What is the reason for the popular appeal of using Instagram for messaging? Same reason people use any social network: because your friends, family and/or people you otherwise/somehow care about are there.

Same reason people use any social network: because your friends, family and/or people you otherwise/somehow care about are there. If they're on Instagram, aren't they necessarily also on SMS, plus a billion other people? All ad-free?

> If they're on Instagram, aren't they necessarily also on SMS

Many people have friends in different countries, and while intra-country SMS is usually free, cross-country ones usually aren't. I think out of my current friend circle, literally all of them have at least one friend outside of the country where they live, but as an immigrant I'm probably biased too.

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#273

Post by gausswho »

nativeit wrote: post #151

I setup a self-hosted FreshRSS + extensions for this very purpose. With a little effort, I can even pull in social media feeds and YouTube subscriptions. Now I have a very plain (but highly functional) UI with a chronological list of the sources I wish to follow. No recommendations, no algorithms, no infinite anything. For discovery, I can now go elsewhere and look for new content with intention, even if facilitated…

This does sound divine. Please give us some more details.

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#275

Post by dariosalvi78 »

nativeit wrote: post #151

I setup a self-hosted FreshRSS + extensions for this very purpose. With a little effort, I can even pull in social media feeds and YouTube subscriptions. Now I have a very plain (but highly functional) UI with a chronological list of the sources I wish to follow. No recommendations, no algorithms, no infinite anything. For discovery, I can now go elsewhere and look for new content with intention, even if facilitated…

I do the same, I include a few news outlets, HN, some good blogs I follow, even podcasts. All sorted chronologically: you can filter by source or tag, no clutter, no ads, just links and often even the full text. All is hosted on an ancient RaspberryPi 3 and exposed over public Internet (with password protection).

https://freshrss.org/

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#276

Post by psittacus »

philipp-gayret wrote: post #270
Imustaskforhelp wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dude if you only want to use insta for dms, try bleeper. I swear, most of my school friends only use / are active on insta and I never used insta because I Hated reels / insta in general (my personal opinion, never found it appealing) So my friend suggested me to use bleeper, I had heard of it ofc but I mean I always thought eh it would be too much of an hassle, then when my friend did it and said its easy so I actua…

Bleeper or Beeper ( https://www.beeper.com )? Beeper is an app like you describe, can't find Bleeper. And it's by Automattic which I think have an OK reputation for not destroying their products.

Keep in mind that using Beeper for Instagram breaks their ToS and often gets your account suspended or banned. This happens with both cloud and local bridges.

https://www.reddit.com/r/beeper/search/?q=instagram+suspende...

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#277

Post by jajko »

TheCapeGreek wrote: post #138
jajko wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A very effective partial solution - there is absolutely 0 reason to have any meta app cancers on phones/tablets. Just let them go, leave them for laptop/desktop and you are more than 50% there. This way they lose a lot of their instant addictivity. Same goes for tiktok and similar other shit forming and then feeding on addictions. Everything becomes much easier afterwards, especially long term. I removed FB apps quit…

If you get addicted to these feeds, you'll just find other ways to them once they're off your phone. I take a hybrid approach - keep uninstalled by default most of the time, engage a browser extension for web to keep me in place, and failing all that use an app like this as well.

No I didn't find other ways, desktop is the only gateway for me even after maybe 6 years. I am generally not a very addictive personality generally (at least compared to many peers), don't have mental ticks, insecurities or mental issues that I feel I need to feed by instant dopamine kicks.

But it still saved me a lot of time in long run (and some phone battery too). I don't go to FB much, don't use instagram, tiktoks, tweeter and so on, and happy with that. Quality of actual real life and all that.

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#278

Post by Oceoss »

"focus on blocking the app itself instead of the addictive feed" " the "healthy" and "social" features" maannn, this totally resonates with me, I totally agree and I always thought about this too social media/instagram has positive parts (connect with friends) and extremely negative parts (reels) I will try that

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#279

Post by NalNezumi »

mieubrisse wrote: post #142
NalNezumi wrote: post #6

I would love it. I'm currently using DFInstagram, which removes home feed. Only downside I see is that is also removes Instagram stories which I do like to check, but I can do that from PC if I want. As for YouTube I can already remove 99% of the distraction by just putting things to private and completely remove recommendations on home page, but reddit / Twitter / Facebook would be great. For the social medias I'd l…

I also use DFInstagram. You can keep stories; I have mine configured to kill the feed & cancerous search page grid but allow me to see stories. Works great.

Oh that would be great! I can't find where in the setting I can toggle this though

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#280

Post by hmokiguess »

adrianhacar wrote: post #135
hmokiguess wrote: post #120

I find any kind of addiction has the same challenge towards breaking from the entrapment cycle which is to raise awareness and understanding then developing thoughtful thinking. Can an app really do that for us? Will it ever? Grounding yourself is such an organic thing to do.

I partially agree. I think, first, it's necessary to make a commitment to breaking the addiction, and then raise the level of awareness in order to follow through with that commitment. I believe an app can help detect addictive triggers and help a person move from an "impulsive and automatic mental state" to a "state of awareness."

Yeah they can help! I guess it would be good for apps to add to their message the call out to not over rely on them and seek help. Some cases are serious and this could be a bandaid fix that serious people rely on to tell themselves they are fine.
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