Google changes its messaging strategy again: Goodbye to Allo, double down on RCS • Hacker News Board

Re: Google changes its messaging strategy again: Goodbye to Allo, double down on RCS

#201

Post by giancarlostoro » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 4:43 PM UTC

SubNoize wrote: post #107

elvirs wrote: post #94

Its shocking how Google is embarrassing itself with these incompatible chat apps released one after another and abandoned right after the release. GTalk Gmail Chat Google Voice Hangouts Android Messages Allo Duo for fucks sake Google, just copy Whatsapp but make it stored on cloud, not on the device, like FB Messenger. Enable account recovery using email in addition to sms and enable usernames or email in addition ph…

that + a desktop client/web app is all anyone wishes for, how can they be do blind and stupid.

Boom. This is why Slack and Discord expand so much. Usability plus availability. Sad people at Google get paid a lot of money to not figure these simple things out. Know your enemy and then reimplement their work in your own better way. Allo needed a desktop client and the video stuff should of been built in stop trying to copy Apple in that regard.

Re: Google changes its messaging strategy again: Goodbye to Allo, double down on RCS

#202

Post by bluGill » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 4:49 PM UTC

discreditable wrote: post #187

andybak wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> what happens when you travel and (temporarily) get a local SIM? The real fix would be sensible roaming charges so you don't need to.

That would seem to be less likely than getting every carrier to implement RCS.

It happened in the US long ago for the most part. I often use a tower that is run by someone other than my carrier, but everything just works. This has been the case so long that I can't recall when the last time anyone I know had to think about roaming.

More recently (since 2015) I get free text and data (but not voice) in more than 100 countries around the world. Some countries include voice as well. In short it is coming, if you don't have it ask your carrier why. (odds are it is regulations so get after your representatives and tell them to stop it or you will vote for someone who will)

Re: Google changes its messaging strategy again: Goodbye to Allo, double down on RCS

#203

Post by lanius » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 4:49 PM UTC

I'd love for this to get widely adopted if it can remove the pain points around sending images through SMS/MMS. I have no confidence that recipients ever actually receive the images I text them.

Re: Google changes its messaging strategy again: Goodbye to Allo, double down on RCS

#204

Post by scottinseattle » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 4:50 PM UTC

ibdf wrote: post #157

They don't get it. People don't want new apps, they want improved versions of the app they already have. It takes so much time to adopt and adapt to an app... nobody I know uses Allo. I have a google phone and I don't use it, because no one else uses. Allo has so many interesting features but I can't use them if no one else uses the damn app. I don't have an iphone nor want one, but they got it right when it comes to…

By that definition, they do get it. Because RCS is an improved version of the Messages inbox already in the phone. No need to take any time to adopt and adapt to any new program.

Re: Google changes its messaging strategy again: Goodbye to Allo, double down on RCS

#205

Post by delecti » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 4:53 PM UTC

donbox wrote: post #181

jayd16 wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a pretty simple explanation. Google talk was XMPP which is just not a good mobile protocol.

Could not they just replace the XMPP protocol with whatever better protocol, while keeping the GTalk alive.

They kinda did exactly that. GTalk became Hangouts which is no longer quite XMPP.

Re: Google changes its messaging strategy again: Goodbye to Allo, double down on RCS

#206

Post by mmcnl » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 4:54 PM UTC

jayd16 wrote: post #177

moksha256 wrote: post #134

Didn't Google have messaging figured out with Google Talk? Everyone was on Gmail all day (as many still are) and people actually used it. Then they let it wither, came out with Hangouts, and it's been a downhill train wreck from there. Google Talk had the potential of being one of the biggest messengers in the world...they own Gmail and Android (!!!!!). Are you kidding me? There's really no good reason for them NOT t…

It's a pretty simple explanation. Google talk was XMPP which is just not a good mobile protocol.

I don't think lack of technical expertise to fix whatever needs to be fixed is what caused Google's demise in the messaging domain.

Re: Google changes its messaging strategy again: Goodbye to Allo, double down on RCS

#207

Post by djrogers » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 4:56 PM UTC

reiichiroh wrote: post #152

nmcfarl wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow - infrastructure varies. Here in Eastern Oregon the pattern is pretty reliably that data and signal drop out at the same time, at least on Verizon which is the carrier with the best coverage. I really thought the pattern that you describe, which I've seen plenty of in the past, had just died out over time and tower upgrades.

It all depends if there's a 2G network to fall back on if 3G+ data goes down. Most places have shut down their 2G.

>Most places have shut down their 2G.

Citation? I haven't seen this to be the case in California - at least on Verizon.

Re: Google changes its messaging strategy again: Goodbye to Allo, double down on RCS

#208

Post by throwawaymacmac » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 4:59 PM UTC

I'm trying to be blunt here, thus the throwaway account. This has nothing to do with Google's messenger strategy (they have none, or actually, they don't really care), it's all about employees seeking promotions by releasing a "influential" project with "impacts" to get promotions. Now all the promotions are done, what's the incentive to keep it? Here's an idea, how about automatic revocation of all promotions if your project is nixed within a year?

Re: Google changes its messaging strategy again: Goodbye to Allo, double down on RCS

#209

Post by delecti » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 5:00 PM UTC

elvirs wrote: post #94

Its shocking how Google is embarrassing itself with these incompatible chat apps released one after another and abandoned right after the release. GTalk Gmail Chat Google Voice Hangouts Android Messages Allo Duo for fucks sake Google, just copy Whatsapp but make it stored on cloud, not on the device, like FB Messenger. Enable account recovery using email in addition to sms and enable usernames or email in addition ph…

GTalk, Gmail Chat, and Hangouts are all the same thing, and Google Voice works seamlessly through Hangouts. Android Messages is just an SMS app, it's no different from iMessage with the "iMessage" feature turned off. They were almost there until they released Allo and Duo instead of just refining their existing product.

Re: Google changes its messaging strategy again: Goodbye to Allo, double down on RCS

#210

Post by ferongr » Fri, Apr 20, 2018, 5:00 PM UTC

eloisant wrote: post #63

icebraining wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can send SMSs internationally, why not RCS? And you can send & receive SMSs on a computer. The real problem, in my opinion, is cost; Hangouts is free, SMSs aren't. And it seems RCS is designed to be billed per-unit, following the model of the latter.

In France all carriers give unlimited free SMS. Is it not the case in other countries?

Not in Greece.