Live data from Hacker News

Facebook threatens to delete synced photos if users don't download new photo app

theverge.com

11–20 of 71 posts

Re: Facebook threatens to delete synced photos if users don't download new photo app

#11
I installed Messenger but didn't use it much. When Facebook shut off access to chat via the web app a few days ago I removed Messenger.

There's no way I'm going to install this app. I never installed the Facebook app because of repeated articles about what a battery killer it was.

I installed Google Photos on my iPhone because it provided me with some features I couldn't get otherwise.

Re: Facebook threatens to delete synced photos if users don't download new photo app

#12
post #8
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never installed Facebook Messenger and only access facebook through a mobile browser. What functionality am I missing out on?

A recent TechCrunch article reported that the functionality that you use is going away. It's a hamfisted move. They abuse these apps to do something -- my wife tried the messenger app and discovered a noticeable loss of battery life. I think she uninstalled it within 24 hours.

I uninstalled both Facebook and Facebook Messenger apps from my Nexus 9 and it's become much faster. Can say that I am surprised.

Re: Facebook threatens to delete synced photos if users don't download new photo app

#14
I read the article before I reacted but this is a bad move for a lot of reasons:

* user hostility & just doing this with messenger app.

* messenger app exists as does instagram and whatsapp. You want your own ecosystem, build a phone or an OS

* overplaying their hand. facebook is successful because it is a defacto standard. However, fragmenting new users by expecting them to have 4 apps (whatsapp, instagram, messenger & moments) as well as a website is a lot to ask. especially on a phone thats core function is messeging and photography, they are either launching an OS or they are insane.

Now, I use facebook occasionally out of convenience but I am not a huge fan of it. I recognize I am a fringe & atypical user concerned with privacy & tech consolidation, but threatening teenagers wasn't a great strategy when I was one not that long ago, so the alternative to "if you live under my house, you fol my rules", is to crash with your mates apple, microsoft, google, twitter, snapchat and whatever else exists

Re: Facebook threatens to delete synced photos if users don't download new photo app

#15
post #3

They seem to go about these things in the wrong way. Take Messenger for example, there was no good reason to remove access to this via a browser on mobile devices. I don't want to have to install an app for something that was previously available in a browser. If you can't provide me with all of the features of messenger in the browser then that's fine. I thought we were meant to be progressing towards a truly open w…

> I wonder how long that will last until people start moving away from the platform.

I think we'll need a solid alternative first. What would people want in the "next Facebook" anyway? Easy contact with every old classmate, friend, and family member? A place for their photos? An easy way to invite anyone to an event? I would wait for that day, but personally my use of FB has majorly changed over the past 10 years on it and now I get more utility out of smaller, more focused services.

I think Facebook is trying to do the Google thing and have a bunch of discrete services under their umbrella, though they don't seem to have a clue how to do that. At least they're smart enough to buy up products that their alienated users will start running to.

Re: Facebook threatens to delete synced photos if users don't download new photo app

#16
post #3

They seem to go about these things in the wrong way. Take Messenger for example, there was no good reason to remove access to this via a browser on mobile devices. I don't want to have to install an app for something that was previously available in a browser. If you can't provide me with all of the features of messenger in the browser then that's fine. I thought we were meant to be progressing towards a truly open w…

> I wonder how long that will last until people start moving away from the platform. I think we'll need a solid alternative first. What would people want in the "next Facebook" anyway? Easy contact with every old classmate, friend, and family member? A place for their photos? An easy way to invite anyone to an event? I would wait for that day, but personally my use of FB has majorly changed over the past 10 years on…

I hope they won't screw WhatsApp up, since it's pretty minimalistic and nice app.

Re: Facebook threatens to delete synced photos if users don't download new photo app

#17
post #3

They seem to go about these things in the wrong way. Take Messenger for example, there was no good reason to remove access to this via a browser on mobile devices. I don't want to have to install an app for something that was previously available in a browser. If you can't provide me with all of the features of messenger in the browser then that's fine. I thought we were meant to be progressing towards a truly open w…

> I thought we were meant to be progressing towards a truly open web accessible to all, regardless of device.

Not at all. It's the other way around actually. I think Silicon Valley, out of sheer pettiness, has betrayed the principles that were supposed to guide the WWW.

Re: Facebook threatens to delete synced photos if users don't download new photo app

#18
post #3

They seem to go about these things in the wrong way. Take Messenger for example, there was no good reason to remove access to this via a browser on mobile devices. I don't want to have to install an app for something that was previously available in a browser. If you can't provide me with all of the features of messenger in the browser then that's fine. I thought we were meant to be progressing towards a truly open w…

> If you can't provide me with all of the features of messenger in the browser then that's fine.

And I'd also prefer if they don't try and hijack other features.

I had installed Messenger, but had notifications turned off because I don't care to be interrupted every time someone sends me a new message when I'm not actively participating in the chat.

Today, someone tried to call me (as in voice call), via the Messenger app. Because notifications were turned off, I didn't realise they had tried to call even though I had the phone with me at the time because it's treated as a 'data' call via Messenger rather than a real phone call.

Given that I can't separate the functionality of 'text chatting' from 'phone calls' made in Messenger, I've now uninstalled it so friends can't pseudo-call me via Messenger.

Re: Facebook threatens to delete synced photos if users don't download new photo app

#19
post #3

They seem to go about these things in the wrong way. Take Messenger for example, there was no good reason to remove access to this via a browser on mobile devices. I don't want to have to install an app for something that was previously available in a browser. If you can't provide me with all of the features of messenger in the browser then that's fine. I thought we were meant to be progressing towards a truly open w…

> I wonder how long that will last until people start moving away from the platform. I think we'll need a solid alternative first. What would people want in the "next Facebook" anyway? Easy contact with every old classmate, friend, and family member? A place for their photos? An easy way to invite anyone to an event? I would wait for that day, but personally my use of FB has majorly changed over the past 10 years on…

> I think Facebook is trying to do the Google thing and have a bunch of discrete services under their umbrella, though they don't seem to have a clue how to do that.

I think they're doing fine, by their metric. People are not going to abandon their services anytime soon. Me and other HN users may complain but the rest of the world doesn't care.

Re: Facebook threatens to delete synced photos if users don't download new photo app

#20

I read the article before I reacted but this is a bad move for a lot of reasons: * user hostility & just doing this with messenger app. * messenger app exists as does instagram and whatsapp. You want your own ecosystem, build a phone or an OS * overplaying their hand. facebook is successful because it is a defacto standard. However, fragmenting new users by expecting them to have 4 apps (whatsapp, instagram, messenge…

> You want your own ecosystem, build a phone or an OS

they tried that and it was a dismal failure.

Post reply on HN