Facebook Messenger Platform • Hacker News Board

Re: Facebook Messenger Platform

#31

Post by shaohua » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 6:24 PM UTC

I suggest we crowdsource a list of chat bot related startups: https://github.com/shaohua/awesome-chatbot

Submit a pull request to include your bot :)

Re: Facebook Messenger Platform

#32

Post by pbreit » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 6:25 PM UTC

Aleman360 wrote: post #27

cromwellian wrote: post #9

This seems kinda disappointing in capability compared with what you see in WeChat. I was expecting you'd be able to build apps that run from inside messenger, instead of toggle back and forth between native apps, possibly using something like ExponentJS/Reactive-Native, but maybe Apple would disapprove. The WeChat SDK allows apps to run JS from inside WeChat itself. You see this in action in China where you can actua…

First browsers became OS's, now you want messenger apps to become OS's? How many layers of cruft do we need?

If anything, the cruft is shrinking since you simply can't fit as much cruft into mobile.

Re: Facebook Messenger Platform

#33

Post by ralmeida » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 6:28 PM UTC

striking wrote: post #22

Scriptor wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone I know uses Messenger for group conversations. Anecdotes can go both ways. As far as I've been able to tell, WhatsApp is most popular outside of the US.

I think that's because of WhatsApp's availability as a Java phone applet that was cheaper than texting in a number of places.

Not for Brazil, at least. Here, most people use WhatsApp: local and even larger business are starting to list their WhatsApp number in advertising, even radio stations use it for users to send messages instead of calling.

And it's even hard to spot a Java-applet based phone. Even the lowest classes just use cheaper or older Androids.

Re: Facebook Messenger Platform

#34

Post by findjashua » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 6:29 PM UTC

mooseburger wrote: post #15

loader wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They showed a graph in the keynote, WhatsApp for one-on-one communication, Messenger for small group communication. So they see them as different use cases.

That's hilarious. Everyone uses WhatsApp for their friend group.

for their friend group outside the US

Re: Facebook Messenger Platform

#35

Post by Aleman360 » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 6:30 PM UTC

pbreit wrote: post #32

Aleman360 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First browsers became OS's, now you want messenger apps to become OS's? How many layers of cruft do we need?

If anything, the cruft is shrinking since you simply can't fit as much cruft into mobile.

Let me get this straight.

- The phone OS has a shell, usually written in native code.

- The messenger app runs on top of the shell, usually written on top of some type of VM.

- The messenger app contains a web browser that renders other apps, written in js.

Re: Facebook Messenger Platform

#36

Post by nemothekid » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 6:33 PM UTC

vr3690 wrote: post #28

I don't get the hype behind bots? When are where was it proved that bots as interfaces can be successful?

I'm assuming they are trying to replicate the success Chinese platforms, like WeChat.

Re: Facebook Messenger Platform

#37

Post by felixhandte » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 6:33 PM UTC

atonse wrote: post #18

Anyone know what stack FB uses for their messaging platform? I know WhatsApp uses Erlang...

It's a number of services written in a mix of Java and C++.

https://code.facebook.com/posts/820258981365363/building-mob... https://code.facebook.com/posts/699902483369896/inside-faceb... https://code.facebook.com/posts/403496919755405/scaling-the-...

Re: Facebook Messenger Platform

#38

Post by ChristianBundy » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 6:39 PM UTC

Aleman360 wrote: post #35

pbreit wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If anything, the cruft is shrinking since you simply can't fit as much cruft into mobile.

Let me get this straight. - The phone OS has a shell, usually written in native code. - The messenger app runs on top of the shell, usually written on top of some type of VM. - The messenger app contains a web browser that renders other apps, written in js.

Please, for your own sanity, don't even bother investigating how operating systems actually work.

Re: Facebook Messenger Platform

#39

Post by nfoz » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 6:41 PM UTC

state wrote: post #24

hayksaakian wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The real question is can you get in, win, and get out before any of that matters. If you 'rode the facebook apps' wave you probably made decent money unless you stayed in too long. Another strategy is to build an integration to messenger to get exposure for your totally independant app. For example If i made some pizza ordering ai, i could hook it up to messenger as an additional channel.

The 'real' question is how can we build an alternative platform that doesn't require you to try to 'win' by effectively screwing the people who actually use the stuff you build.

I think that problem has been unsolved for ~500 years? More?

Re: Facebook Messenger Platform

#40

Post by wodenokoto » Tue, Apr 12, 2016, 6:42 PM UTC

nns wrote: post #11

Wouldn't it be wise for Facebook to just replace Messenger with WhatsApp and offer that as a platform?

I'm thinking that either they are really afraid of messing up WhatsApp like how the current and previous Skype owners messed up, or else it is part of the purchase deal to mainly stay out of WhatsApp.

The whole end-to-end encryption on WhatsApp doesn't seem in the Facebook spirit at all.