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Poll: Switching from WhatsApp

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Poll: Switching from WhatsApp

#391

Post by MayeulC »

raziel2p wrote: post #339
incrudible wrote: post #323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like to think the problem is that "the nerds" have failed the rest of the people. People used to listen to us about computer stuff. Then computers became usable without us. Then smartphones arrived. We gladly were relieved of our obligations, but also of our influence. It's too late to go back. People are already used to the trade-offs, convenience rules above all. People may be "sort of concerned" about privacy, b…

Eh, it's not like "the nerds" can build a better product in terms of UX anyway, and definitely can't market it better. Besides, who says "the nerds" are trustworthy anyway? They keep arguing among each other about which operating system or programming language is best, and why should we take their advice when software security vulnerabilities keep being discovered? Not disagreeing with your point - it's become too ea…

I'd trust most nerds over most salesmen, but hat's what people do by clicking "I agree". Don't deal with the devil.

Re: Poll: Switching from WhatsApp

#392

Post by SamWhited »

m_st wrote: post #79
defanor wrote: post #75

I've never used WhatsApp (and only briefly tried some of the other listed messengers), but switching from one centralised and commercial system, once it runs into issues as many similar systems did before it, to another very similar system, doesn't seem quite wise. Personally I'm using XMPP and IRC for instant messaging, and tend to recommend the former: it's a nice and federated protocol, with users and software, an…

Full ack. But then try connecting with your non-tech friends using XMPP or IRC. Won't do.

That depends on the client; Quicksy (https://quicksy.im/) makes contact discovery pretty easy.

Re: Poll: Switching from WhatsApp

#393

Post by GregorBrandt »

game_the0ry wrote: post #362
apexalpha wrote: post #155

Where is the "Don't switch" option? Because as much as I hate that Facebook bought them, they're part of what I would call "critical social infrastructure." Asking to leave WhatsApp is like cancelling your contract with your ISP and going offline just because you don't like the company.

Try not to get mad please, but ... > Where is the "Don't switch" option? Because as much as I hate that Facebook bought them, they're part of what I would call "critical social infrastructure." No such thing as "critical social infrastructure." Could you live without whatsapp? Yes. Then by definition it is not critical. > Asking to leave WhatsApp is like cancelling your contract with your ISP and going offline just b…

Have you travelled or lived in central or South America? WhatsApp is critical social infrastructure. WhatsApp is used more than telephones. For everything. Businesses advertise their WhatsApp contact before, or even omitting, a telephone number. People you meet want your WhatsApp for communication, not your telephone number. WhatsApp has become critical to these countries as the primary form of communication.

Re: Poll: Switching from WhatsApp

#394

Post by gst »

jbotz wrote: post #283
apexalpha wrote: post #155

Where is the "Don't switch" option? Because as much as I hate that Facebook bought them, they're part of what I would call "critical social infrastructure." Asking to leave WhatsApp is like cancelling your contract with your ISP and going offline just because you don't like the company.

Well, I don't know where parent is located, but here in Brazil they are pretty much right. Everybody has WhatsApp... it's assumed that if you have a phone you have WhatsApp. A lot of financial transactions are conducted by doing a bank transfer and then sending the receipt via WhatsApp. The schools send essential messages to parents via WhatsApp. During lockdowns, stores were taking delivery orders via WhatsApp. What…

> [Edit] When I delete my account I'm going to lose old conversations, but that doesn't bother me anymore because I already recently lost them once when I switched from Android to iOS... WhatsApp has no way of keeping your history in that case. And otherwise there's really no friction to deleting an account, since you can always recreate it.

There are several third-party tools that allow to convert the history from Android to iOS. I recently switched and was able to keep all of my history.

Re: Poll: Switching from WhatsApp

#396

Post by fumblebee »

The obvious issue here is that we're intrinsically bound to the services that the people you talk with are themselves locked into. The pressure of your local crowd is surely a stronger determinant of which IM app(s) you use over the ones you like the best.

So yeah, I don't like Facebook's malevolent dictatorship over WhatsApp, but there's zero chance I could - or even would bother to - convince all my friends and family to make the switch.

Re: Poll: Switching from WhatsApp

#397

Post by chrismatheson »

rglullis wrote: post #228

From the listed alternatives, only Matrix is the one that actually solves the issue of not having to trust our communications to any single monopolistic entity. You could add XMPP there as well, but it really doesn't matter. What does matter is for us to start pushing for openness and start evangelizing/helping others to adopt anything that puts us back in control of our communication. This is the one thing to fix, a…

will https://communick.com run / configure the various bridges? setting up my own home server for matrix with bridges to existing services (inc WhatsApp) has been on my list for a while. Seems like a nice way to try and migrate slowly away from other services, and if it works well I can show my friends in a sort of like "look this is how ive done it"

Re: Poll: Switching from WhatsApp

#398

Post by rglullis »

HourglassFR wrote: post #221
apexalpha wrote: post #155

Where is the "Don't switch" option? Because as much as I hate that Facebook bought them, they're part of what I would call "critical social infrastructure." Asking to leave WhatsApp is like cancelling your contract with your ISP and going offline just because you don't like the company.

I agree, all my friends and familly are on WhatsApp and they will definitely not switch. So from my point of view, I have to balance the cost between sharing data to Facebook and severely hampering communications with my love ones. I guess what I'm saying is that the network effect is just too damn strong (for me at least).

Can I help you to at least try it?

Take a look at https://communick.com. You can sign up for a 14-day trial and get to invite 10 people to your plan.

Re: Poll: Switching from WhatsApp

#399

Post by lrvick »

jaggs wrote: post #44
lrvick wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When they run out of money to pay for servers they can sell assets as they please to whomever they please.

Maybe not? "Signal is an independent nonprofit. We're not tied to any major tech companies, and we can never be acquired by one either."

And yet you need to be in the Google or Apple ecosystems to connect to their network.

Re: Poll: Switching from WhatsApp

#400

Post by zajio1am »

hrns wrote: post #58
0x_rs wrote: post #43

Been using Telegram for a long time. I don't trust it any more than I do with WhatsApp (therefore, Facebook), however it is well done and thought out, has a real desktop client with a real desktop UI toolkit and enough of my contacts are on it already, therefore it's the best compromise to me. I greatly dislike Signal's UI when I tried it out and I've read about some weird decisions lately (that "using a PIN? uploadi…

Signal requires phone number in order not to store your contact list on their servers. Instead of id's/email addresses/nicknames they are using your phone contact list. IMHO that's better for privacy.

> Signal requires phone number in order not to store your contact list on their servers.

That does not make sense. There is no relation between 'using phone number as id' and 'storing contact list on servers'. E-mail and same other communication protocols also do not use phone numbers and do not store contact list on servers.

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