While I do wish this was allowed I think it’s pretty clear that using Apple’s iMessage servers without permission is probably not legal
Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access
221–230 of 1001 posts
Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access
#222One thing which is really confusing is why are Android users obsessed with iMessage? Android users can send text messages to iPhones, the can call iPhone users, and they can use third party messaging apps to communicate with iPhone users. It really isn’t clear to me why so many people are so angry they cannot use iMessage on Android.
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Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access
#223Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 2. Since Apple has no control over the Beeper mini client, they would not consider it safe, it could easily be spying on users without their knowledge. Since I have no control over iMessage, I would not consider it safe. It could easily be spying on me without my knowledge.
Which is why most people (should) opt to use a cross platform messenger, such as Signal.
If signal would officially allow third party clients, non-phone-number-bound users and maybe federation that'd be great.
It does not.
Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access
#224The security argument is all very well, but I don't care for iMessage distinction between iP* users and Android/others. It reminds me of Jane Elliot's experiments*. Reinforcing your brand identity by structuring the private conversations of your users is weird and somewhat creepy.
*https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/osi04.soc.ush.civil...
Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access
#225> "if Apple truly cares about the privacy and security of their own iPhone users, why would they stop a service that enables their own users to now send encrypted messages to Android users, rather than using unsecure SMS?" - Eric Migicovsky 1. If Apple sees this as a gap, it is very obvious that they would address that themselves, rather than by allowing a hack to exploit loopholes in their architecture 2. Since Appl…
Keep in mind that this is spin — Erik's statement is ridiculous, and he knows it. To think that Apple would somehow not treat Beeper like any other bad actor hacking iMessage protocols is delulu.
Sure, that's fair. But if he knows that, why spend the time to build this app in the first place? Is it a marketing play? It did buy them a whole lot of attention.
Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access
#226One thing which is really confusing is why are Android users obsessed with iMessage? Android users can send text messages to iPhones, the can call iPhone users, and they can use third party messaging apps to communicate with iPhone users. It really isn’t clear to me why so many people are so angry they cannot use iMessage on Android.
From Google themselves: https://www.android.com/get-the-message/
Apple is arbitrarily and intentionally making it a worse experience than it needs to be.
Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access
#227Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you really consider Apple's control over a proprietary protocol which they invented and maintain to be comparable to a scenario in which Apple "sends a man" to take "your fire extinguisher […] from your house"? I've re-written this comment five or six times in an attempt to find the most charitable interpretation, but I just cannot comprehend how it made it through your filter and out onto the internet.
There's an open standard they're refusing to adopt that would be more secure than forcing users back to SMS.
Are you referring to the one that they're adopting?
Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access
#228Earlier quoted context omitted.
I know a few people who use safari on Mac. Either because they just don’t care enough to install another browser, or because they prefer the more “native Mac” look and feel.
> Either because they just don’t care enough to install another browser… Why does so many people have this attitude that Safari sucks and the only people who use it are idiots who don’t know better? It’s so incredibly insulting. Not that putting native Mac in quotes implies anything nice either.
I don’t use Mac, nor care what browser people use on it. I use safari on iOS because I too don’t care enough to install another browser.
It’s absolutely baffling that you could read my post as saying safari sucks or that people who use it are idiots.
Let me try to be more clear… there are two reasons someone uses Safari on macOS, in my experience:
1. They like it better. Usually, the reason they like it better is because it feels more “native Mac”. This term is in quotes because it’s not a technical term and my understanding of what it actually means is vague, but I by no means dispute that it’s real.
OR…
2. They don’t care, so they use the default.
Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access
#229It's for your own good. Those Android users cannot be trusted.
To downvoters, the above appears to be sarcasm. Apple would love you to believe this even though it's just blatantly silly, which is why it's funny.
Any time one is tempted to post a sarcastic comment, it's good to re-read Poe's law[0] first. It does in fact always apply when posting on the internet.
Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access
#230Earlier quoted context omitted.
These assertions need those quotes around 'nobody' because I work with a bunch of apple device owners across Europe and they certainly do use Apple messages. At scale yes, signal, telegram and whatsapp are perhaps more significant than the apple ecology and the ratio of android to apple outside the USA and canada probably shows why.
Is anyone aware of actual statistics on this?
It’s surprisingly difficult to measure.
“Installs” are muddied by the fact that everyone with a Facebook account has a Messenger capability, and every Apple user has an iMessage app downloaded.
“Messages received” is distorted by group chat dynamics and commercial messages.
“Messages sent” is distorted by the unequal value of relationships.
For example, I generally communicate with FB marketplace sellers & acquaintances from high school on Messenger, but use WhatsApp for talking with overseas family members.
More generally, there are social dynamics which make messenger apps radically different from one another. Even when the feature sets of the applications are very similar.