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When One App Rules Them All: The Case of WeChat and Mobile in China

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Re: When One App Rules Them All: The Case of WeChat and Mobile in China

#42

Post by djyde »

EliRivers wrote: post #33
antimagic wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh no. Here's how an attack might go. I'm a shop assistant and show you a QR code to scan to make a purchase. Unknown to you, I'm not actually showing you the real app, but a fake app with fake QR code that will redirect you to a malicious website, which in it's turn will load the proper URL after having executed an unpatched zero-day on your device. You are sad because your device has just been pwned. You are at the…

What you say is true, and makes no difference. QR codes are very popular and in very common use in China.

Yup, now when I wanna pay for some drink, I only need to take out my mobile, then open wechat, then scan the QR code showed on the vending machine screen.

Like this: http://i.imgur.com/mlIr3QP.jpg

Re: When One App Rules Them All: The Case of WeChat and Mobile in China

#43

Post by reedlaw »

WeChat is so much better than other messaging platforms that I'm willing to get on it in spite of privacy concerns. I have never noticed an ad and I'm in complete control over what messages I receive. It just feels so much better than Facebook or Twitter where it's obvious that my data is the product. I have no idea what kind of things WeChat does with its massive amounts of data, but at least they have legitimate revenue streams that don't involve shoving unwanted content in front of me.

Re: When One App Rules Them All: The Case of WeChat and Mobile in China

#44

Post by jgbond »

The post fails to mention that WeChat is protected from competition against other major global apps. If Google, Facebook, et al, were allowed to operate freely in China, WeChat would get picked apart.

Yes, there are a lot of cool things about WeChat and certain features that it arguably does better than its foreign counterparts, but it is still a mess. It is slow, cluttered, bloated, and full of crimes against design. The lack of competitive pressure really shows.

I imagine that if and when some real competition shows up, WeChat will evolve into a full-blown mobile OS.

Re: When One App Rules Them All: The Case of WeChat and Mobile in China

#45

Post by LiweiZ »

Isn't it just users with QQ numbers pick a slim version (which is more adapted to mobile use cases) of QQ on mobile devices? QQ number is something almost everyone on internet owns back in early 2000s in China. The number became the utility. As long as one has internet connection, one does not need a phone number to get connected.

I don't like WeChat. But that's what you have to use since that's where everyone you know are. MSN once had the chance to complete with QQ, but it gave up. And everybody had no better choice but picked up their old QQ number.

From another perspective, it's also accompanied with the rise of local business, which shifted the attitude towards local society recognition.

Money makes then ugly now pretty.

Re: When One App Rules Them All: The Case of WeChat and Mobile in China

#47

Post by tellthetruth1 »

djyde wrote: post #42
EliRivers wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What you say is true, and makes no difference. QR codes are very popular and in very common use in China.

Yup, now when I wanna pay for some drink, I only need to take out my mobile, then open wechat, then scan the QR code showed on the vending machine screen. Like this: http://i.imgur.com/mlIr3QP.jpg

Vending machines in the US only take coins, like a post-apocalyptic stone age world. So ahead of time...

Re: When One App Rules Them All: The Case of WeChat and Mobile in China

#48

Post by LiweiZ »

jgbond wrote: post #44

The post fails to mention that WeChat is protected from competition against other major global apps. If Google, Facebook, et al, were allowed to operate freely in China, WeChat would get picked apart. Yes, there are a lot of cool things about WeChat and certain features that it arguably does better than its foreign counterparts, but it is still a mess. It is slow, cluttered, bloated, and full of crimes against design…

Yes, quality alternatives and things exported from other cultures are very important here. Like I indicated in my comment MSN was the choice for groups more open to western cultures. Communication, sociality and tools used could be very culture sensitive.

Re: When One App Rules Them All: The Case of WeChat and Mobile in China

#49

Post by reuven »

I've traveled to China about 2-3 times each year for the last few years. I strongly recommend that people who travel to China install WeChat. Not only is it guaranteed to work in China, but it gives you instant street cred when you're there.

It's very, very common for people to say to me, "Wow, you have WeChat? You are so Chinese!" (I don't look Chinese at all, and my Mandarin is still at an elementary level, so this is clearly a cultural compliment!) It's the easiest, fastest, and cheapest thing you can do to make a connection with any hosts, friends, or business colleagues you meet there.

WeChat does indeed have tons of features. I've used it for personal and group communication, but also for video chats (when Skype went crazy on me), and it was solid. My Chinese teacher and I use it to exchange messages and photos, either when I'm visiting China or when we're outside of class time. I'm on a few groups, and it's a surprisingly clean and easy-to-use program for group chat.

I also use WhatsApp, and while that has a much nicer interface, it's not obvious to me that it's superior to WeChat.

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