Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger • Hacker News Board

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#31

Post by galistoca » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 5:20 AM UTC

jds375 wrote: post #11

So rather than fixing the problems that result in users messaging via the mobile web app instead of the messenger app, they're just going to "solve" the problem by forcing users to use the messenger app? This is why Facebook as a company doesn't have high levels of consumer trust. This will bite them in the future. Once you lose that level of trust it is extremely difficult to gain back.

I'm not a FB fanboy or anything, but sometimes it is a good choice to free yourself from legacy tech burden and build for the future. The web (html documents fetched via http requests) were not built with mobile devices in mind, especially websockets. In the mobile era, all messaging is based on push notifications which must go through the device vendor (APNS or GCM), and trying to support the legacy tech in this landscape is just not worth it.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#32

Post by Brian_K_White » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 5:21 AM UTC

ori_b wrote: post #23

Brian_K_White wrote: post #22

"Your conversations are moving to Messenger" No problem. It's not there's conversations with dead people in there or anything.

The conversations are not lost; they're stored on Facebook's servers. There are plenty of reasons to dislike the move, but this isn't one.

They are moved to where I no longer have access to them.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#33

Post by curiousgal » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 5:21 AM UTC

I know every time a post about Facebook makes it to the front page here people say they don't use Facebook anymore but as a heavy Facebook user I am so fucking glad I blocked all Facebook domains last week. I feel liberated! This move would have quite ecked me but nope! Fuck you Facebook.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#34

Post by beagle3 » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 5:25 AM UTC

exolymph wrote: post #2

User-hostile moves like this fill me with deep, deep frustration.

Which is why they started doing them only after they have achieved world domination. Where are you going to go, myspace? Google+?

To quote Mel Brooks' brilliant "History of the World, Part I" - "It's good to be the king".

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#35

Post by vinceve » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 5:25 AM UTC

The reason I use the web interface and not the app are following:

- you can't disable notifications - you can't secure your app (aka Pin protection or a password) - huge battery drain as it is constantly connected to the internet.

The web app is easy. You log in and you check your messages. An alternative for android that I have found for Android is called fast Facebook. It shows a web view of the chat and ignores the market:// redirects. Which is already better.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#36

Post by Retra » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 5:25 AM UTC

wildmusings wrote: post #12

prdonahue wrote: post #9

Facebook's forced migration of their users from basic, functional chat is, in my opinion, more frustrating than any single decision they've made to date (perhaps second to platform risk materializing to those businesses built on top of them). I once had a (protracted) debate with one of their earliest product designers who defended the decision unconditionally. His arguments were—more or less—"it's better for the use…

They only put that spin on it because it works. If they didn't do it, they'd seriously hurt for it in the press and in the court of public opinion. Every company does it. Until people savvy up, they're getting exactly what they deserve.

Just because people are dumb about something doesn't mean they deserve to be taken advantage of. We're all dumb about one thing or another.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#37

Post by iamdave » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 5:26 AM UTC

vinceve wrote: post #35

The reason I use the web interface and not the app are following: - you can't disable notifications - you can't secure your app (aka Pin protection or a password) - huge battery drain as it is constantly connected to the internet. The web app is easy. You log in and you check your messages. An alternative for android that I have found for Android is called fast Facebook. It shows a web view of the chat and ignores th…

- you can't disable notifications

You absolutely can mute conversations, tap the (i) at the top of each convo, very first menu option should be "Notifications".

With you on everything else.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#38

Post by zem » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 5:27 AM UTC

cypher543 wrote: post #7

> At the moment, you can just dismiss the notice and go about your business. Hah, if only it were that easy. When viewing messages in Chrome for Android, I get redirected to Messenger on the Play Store when I close the overlay. Then the Play Store opens again when I tap on a conversation. Screw you, Facebook.

requesting the desktop site still works in chrome for android

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#39

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 5:27 AM UTC

cypher543 wrote: post #7

> At the moment, you can just dismiss the notice and go about your business. Hah, if only it were that easy. When viewing messages in Chrome for Android, I get redirected to Messenger on the Play Store when I close the overlay. Then the Play Store opens again when I tap on a conversation. Screw you, Facebook.

[deleted]

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#40

Post by rtpg » Sat, Jun 04, 2016, 5:27 AM UTC

cheriot wrote: post #18

prdonahue wrote: post #9

Facebook's forced migration of their users from basic, functional chat is, in my opinion, more frustrating than any single decision they've made to date (perhaps second to platform risk materializing to those businesses built on top of them). I once had a (protracted) debate with one of their earliest product designers who defended the decision unconditionally. His arguments were—more or less—"it's better for the use…

"better for the user" does not mean "better for EVERY user". A product team has to prioritize. I hate the permissions demanded by messenger, but for me it is nicer to use than the mobile site. I'm curious what people prefer about the web chat version?

I don't use the apps of some things because the web versions ended up being faster (plus less space on the phone). In my case Messenger ended up being one of the few apps that I opted for ( chat bebles on Android are amazing UI) but...