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Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

arstechnica.com

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Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#131

Post by AnthonyMouse »

MichaelZuo wrote: post #93
Shawnj2 wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IIRC that is the original goal of beeper, to act as a universal messenger front end

So the end result will be dozens of 'universal' 'standards'?

If clients supporting multiple protocols become popular they could default to a sensible open protocol. Which, as the default in the popular app(s), would become the most widely used protocol. People can switch at their leisure because the app supports both, but over time the users transition because it's the default.

Since the old and proprietary protocols are only sustained by the network effect, they lose users, and eventually support for them gets dropped.

It's a method of transitioning from a collection of proprietary systems with their own network effects to an open one, by temporarily supporting both. For obvious reasons the operators of the proprietary systems don't want to be subject to that competition, which is they same reason they shouldn't be allowed to shut it out.

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#132

Post by thomastjeffery »

doublerabbit wrote: post #115
dishsoap wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are they stealing?

Profits. By allowing Android Apple communication, Apple has potential "loses" as they loose their lock in ability of forcing people buying a new iPhone for Christmas. iPhone $800, Android $200. If an Android can do what iPhone can do on the messaging front there's no purpose in buying an iPhone.

In other words, they are stealing Apple's monopoly?

And that's a problem...why?

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#133

Post by advael »

josephg wrote: post #34
unshavedyak wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Apple customers have ample access to iMessage, after all. And as has been noted many, many times, there are many means of accessing secure cross-platform messaging. In fairness, i am a 5+ device apple customer and i can't use it on my two primary desktops. I use Beeper to write texts on my primary computer. Apple feels anti-me. I pay for products and unless i'm 100% into the ecosystem they fight me. Sure, they don'…

Yeah. I’ve got all sorts of Apple stuff in the house. One apple ecosystem piece I adore is being able to copy paste between my Apple devices. I’d love it if that worked from my Linux workstation too. C’mon, Apple.

One workaround is something like barrier/synergy, if that still works on macos. Doesn't cover phones, but it's something

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#134

Post by nozzlegear »

user_7832 wrote: post #45
NettleBurr wrote: post #28

>Apple on Wednesday appeared to have blocked what Beeper described as "~5% of Beeper Mini users" from accessing iMessages >Apple previously issued a (somewhat uncommon) statement about Beeper's iMessage access, stating that it "took steps to protect our users by blocking techniques that exploit fake credentials in order to gain access to iMessage." Citing privacy, security, and spam concerns, Apple stated it would "c…

> Not commenting about the ethics of all this, just wondering why technically Apple can only block ~5% of Beeper Mini users instead of all of them? Could this potentially be tied to the use of an email id as the iMessage handle? I wonder if it might also have anything to do with govt action. I believe a US elected rep recently tweeted in favour of Beeper. Apple cares much more about PR than they'll admit, and server…

The rep was Senator Elizabeth Warren, who was once pretty popular during the Obama years when she helped create the CFPB. She sadly doesn’t hold much sway (e: in the senate) anymore.

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#135

Post by junofan »

thisisthenewme wrote: post #91
dann0 wrote: post #71

[flagged]

I find it even more interesting that people are defending either corporation. Neither of them is our friend, and they do what happens to be profitable. The core problem here is that Apple has a significant market share in the US, and for one reason or another, they are inconveniencing a portion of non-iPhone users and/or causing an unnecessary divide. Does it have to be this way? I think the answer would depend on wh…

I’d prefer to live in a society where all rights are protected rather than just my friends’ rights.

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#136

Post by nani8ot »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #53
wishfish wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speaking as an Apple customer, there are many times I wish iMessage was more open. My partner and some friends prefer Android. Would be great to use Messages with them. Plus, I'd love to have Messages on whatever desktop I'm using. Sure, I spend the majority of my time in MacOS. But, I've got Windows, Linux, and Chromebooks here in the house. Would be so much more convenient to have Messages on all platforms.

What is stopping you from using Whatsapp/Signal?

As an Android user I'd rather use iMessage than WhatsApp, if I have to choose between proprietary messaging apps. Meta isn't a company I want to rely upon, but I'm forced to because of almost everyone using WhatsApp where I live.

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#137

Post by stouset »

josephcsible wrote: post #126

When Ma Bell didn't let people use third-party phones with their service, the government made them change their ways. Why is the government letting Apple get away with the equivalent?

Ma Bell had a monopoly.

This is one messaging app on one brand of phone. Nothing stops you from using another phone, or multiple or other messaging apps. And messaging apps aren’t restricted by a “default” in quite the same way a web browser is. I have friends on WhatsApp and Signal and Instagram and I message them all without any appreciable difference in effort.

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#138

Post by alwayslikethis »

josephcsible wrote: post #126

When Ma Bell didn't let people use third-party phones with their service, the government made them change their ways. Why is the government letting Apple get away with the equivalent?

Because Apple has enough cash to pay off enough congressmen.

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#139

Post by wishfish »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #53
wishfish wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speaking as an Apple customer, there are many times I wish iMessage was more open. My partner and some friends prefer Android. Would be great to use Messages with them. Plus, I'd love to have Messages on whatever desktop I'm using. Sure, I spend the majority of my time in MacOS. But, I've got Windows, Linux, and Chromebooks here in the house. Would be so much more convenient to have Messages on all platforms.

What is stopping you from using Whatsapp/Signal?

Absolutely nothing. I already use alternative services for Android contacts. I just like iMessage and wish it was available on non-Apple hardware. Would be immensely more convenient.

Re: Apple partly halts Beeper's iMessage app again, suggesting a long fight ahead

#140

Post by beeboobaa »

turquoisevar wrote: post #81
NettleBurr wrote: post #28

>Apple on Wednesday appeared to have blocked what Beeper described as "~5% of Beeper Mini users" from accessing iMessages >Apple previously issued a (somewhat uncommon) statement about Beeper's iMessage access, stating that it "took steps to protect our users by blocking techniques that exploit fake credentials in order to gain access to iMessage." Citing privacy, security, and spam concerns, Apple stated it would "c…

> Not commenting about the ethics of all this, just wondering why technically Apple can only block ~5% of Beeper Mini users instead of all of them? Could this potentially be tied to the use of an email id as the iMessage handle? Apple could block 100% of the people using Beeper and throw Hackintosh users into that as a bonus as well. The reason they’re not doing that is because it could have unintended consequences a…

> Apple could also push out an update tomorrow that would end this once and for all by utilizing device attestation and leveraging Secure Enclave

More proof that Remote Attestation is evil and does not exist to serve the user.

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