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Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

robertheaton.com

61–70 of 159 posts

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#61
post #60

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I haven't ever used WhatsApp. Is there a huge benefit to using it over SMS, or something similar?

It's free (unlike SMS or MMS) and back in the day it was the only service that worked reliably on all mobile platforms and didn't use PINs or usernames--just the phone numbers in your contact list so it was plug&play: just install it and you can talk to everybody.

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#64
post #60

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I haven't ever used WhatsApp. Is there a huge benefit to using it over SMS, or something similar?

* SMS delivery isn't guaranteed.

* SMS don't have read receipt.

* SMS depends on cellular connectivity.

* SMS and MMS have very limited media transfer support.

* SMS don't have feature similar to groups.

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#65
post #46
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this because of their still-utterly-broken roaming model? (supposedly to be remedied soon)

Soon was June 2017. But I doubt it has anything to do with roaming. Maybe more people paid per SMS for a longer time than in the US? I know I still do; I could add unlimited messages to my monthly contract for 1 EUR or so, but what's the point.

Interesting. My assumption was that Europe was much more okay with pay-per-use than the US was. It was always strange to someone in the US that a European would pay different amounts for a call depending on what kind of phone you were calling, where in the US both parties simply paid for their airtime if they wanted to use mobile phones.

SMS took off faster in Europe than in the US, but we've had bundled packages for so long that the individual cost per text wasn't such an issue, and now on many plans they're unlimited.

I guess the differing cost structure depending on who you're texting and from where may have spurred the adoption of WhatsApp, whereas in the US, even if you WERE paying per text, it was the same across a territory of many thousands of miles and hundreds of millions of people. And, the same way that many folks in the US do not even have a passport, they tend also not to have a reason to text internationally. The size and homogeneity of the country benefits the adoptions of some technologies, but hinders the adoption of others.

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#66
post #30
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That depends on the country. In the US, people still tend to text a lot, but in most of Europe, Whatsapp totally replaced texting.

Is this because of their still-utterly-broken roaming model? (supposedly to be remedied soon)

SMS are expensive in some countries, even without roaming. I'd pay 0.10€ for every message, if I ever sent any.

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#67
post #46
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this because of their still-utterly-broken roaming model? (supposedly to be remedied soon)

Soon was June 2017. But I doubt it has anything to do with roaming. Maybe more people paid per SMS for a longer time than in the US? I know I still do; I could add unlimited messages to my monthly contract for 1 EUR or so, but what's the point.

Cool!

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/...

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#68
post #13
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with you, whatsapp is not like Tinder or Facebook you don't open it every 2 minutes to check if there is something new.

That depends on the country. In the US, people still tend to text a lot, but in most of Europe, Whatsapp totally replaced texting.

Right, but you don't need to "check" it since it has notifications.

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#69
post #64
post #60

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I haven't ever used WhatsApp. Is there a huge benefit to using it over SMS, or something similar?

* SMS delivery isn't guaranteed. * SMS don't have read receipt. * SMS depends on cellular connectivity. * SMS and MMS have very limited media transfer support. * SMS don't have feature similar to groups.

>* SMS don't have read receipt.

I feel like this is a pro.

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#70
post #34

A few weeks ago there was a similar discussion, and I commented the following: If you think there is no problem, you are wrong. The blog post does not show all the information leaks that this implies. Example: I can modify the script to monitor all the numbers I've in my phone, so that based on the online/offline status in a few weeks I can be able to guess who is having conversations together, discovering cheatings,…

Most Tor busts follow a similar pattern, watching both ends of the connection.

There is a real need for a "tor delay" metadata-disruption-as-a-service, where random strangers invoke one another's web callbacks and report back the result in exchange for Bitcoin (Strangers on a Train -style). Someone put it on the block chain and start an ICO!

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