Tracking the WhatsApp habits of random smartphones

Post by gridder » Wed, Apr 21, 2021, 2:25 PM UTC

dec0dedab0de wrote: post #20

puttycat wrote: post #14

I've been using WhatsApp for years, reluctantly since it is the de-facto SMS standard in my country. I will never, ever, understand the "online" status feature. It is ridiculously invasive and cannot ever be turned off or even hidden from specific contacts. This is a SMS client, not a chat client, and revealing a user's online status is highly problematic both socially and security-wise. I can't help but wonder how m…

I only used WhatsApp for a year or so to talk to a specific person, but it definitely felt like a chat client to me. My general impression is that it is a lesser version of AIM but using phone numbers as logins. To be fair, I think of all instant messaging apps as lesser versions of AIM, and I still can't believe AOL dropped the ball so hard on that. I don't remember the online indication, is that only when you're ac…

Post by jorislacance » Wed, Apr 21, 2021, 2:34 PM UTC

seszett wrote: post #17

jorislacance wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not in France actually, we mainly use WhatsApp as a main message app; nobody uses SMS nowadays

Well I do use SMS, as well as my friends and family in France. I use WhatsApp with Belgians (I live in Belgium) because SMS's are not free for them, and also for sharing photos because MMS is a mess.

Post by IneffablePigeon » Wed, Apr 21, 2021, 2:49 PM UTC

gridder wrote: post #22

dec0dedab0de wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I only used WhatsApp for a year or so to talk to a specific person, but it definitely felt like a chat client to me. My general impression is that it is a lesser version of AIM but using phone numbers as logins. To be fair, I think of all instant messaging apps as lesser versions of AIM, and I still can't believe AOL dropped the ball so hard on that. I don't remember the online indication, is that only when you're ac…

When you are online anyone can check it. There is no option to hide the online status. Using an easy script anyone can then spy and understand pretty much everything of a person, or a group. This is easy cyber stalking and dangerous. Especially because normal people do not understand this and think that hiding last seen is useful to avoid being stalked…

Post by gridder » Wed, Apr 21, 2021, 2:53 PM UTC

computator wrote: post #5

> Privacy setting for Last Seen: Set by default to Everyone and nobody configures it. It surprised me that only 10% of his random (French) sample is active daily (179/1751=10%). In my contacts, I do see people who have accounts but haven't used it in weeks, but it's not the norm. However, I see lots of people in my contacts who show no info for Last Seen. Is he underestimating how often people configure the privacy s…

Post by jorislacance » Wed, Apr 21, 2021, 2:56 PM UTC

CiTyBear wrote: post #12

computator wrote: post #5

> Privacy setting for Last Seen: Set by default to Everyone and nobody configures it. It surprised me that only 10% of his random (French) sample is active daily (179/1751=10%). In my contacts, I do see people who have accounts but haven't used it in weeks, but it's not the norm. However, I see lots of people in my contacts who show no info for Last Seen. Is he underestimating how often people configure the privacy s…

His script start from the bottom of 06 XX XX XX XX (french mobile number) and increases. This is not the most efficient way to have working/active numbers. As he said, starting with 06 numbers are saturated by now and we opened 07 XX... numbers. Thus, 07 numbers are more likely to be fresher et more used by "younger" people. While first 06 could be more used by professional and "older" people As I said in a previous…