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Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions

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Re: Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions

#381

Post by fsflover »

egorfine wrote: post #373

I am a happy Instagram user. As a Ukrainian, this is the only connection left with lots of my friends now as we are scattered around the world. And I would happily pay $2.99/m for Instagram to have those better features. Problem is, facebook WILL raise the prices on these subscriptions every few months until they could not anymore. So I will have to pay probably like $12.99/m in a couple of years.

> this is the only connection left with lots of my friends now as we are scattered around the world

Time to suggest them to join Mastodon and Pixelfed? Relying on a foreign, for-profit megacorp is a bad way to keep contact with friends.

Re: Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions

#382

Post by mgrunwald_ »

documentorium wrote: post #378
pj_mukh wrote: post #11

I would pay $49.99/mo for an unlimited plan that brings me only my friends' status updates (not their hyper-political likes and comments), just their life updates. Daily stories are great too. But JUST that, no influencers, no ads. I realize Meta's data shows that our user revealed preferences tells them that we like all the dopamine hijacking garbage but that's like saying "Well users like drugs, so we gave them mor…

Did you check this out? https://isactiv.com/ - Private social network - exactly what you describe

I've seen too many of those privacy-respecting alternative social networks. Problem is that you'll post things only for yourself, which may be cool if you don't care about actually having friends there.

Re: Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions

#383

Post by fsflover »

schubidubiduba wrote: post #103
apsurd wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't believe for a second you'd pay $50 per month! Yeah you'd do it to prove a point. 6 months later, no way in hell.

I think I would pay it. The peace of mind knowing that my every move isn't tracked and being used to sell me stuff or engagement bait me is invaluable tbh

> The peace of mind knowing that my every move isn't tracked and being used to sell me stuff or engagement bait

Why would you trust Meta to keep its promises?

Even Apple is not to be trusted with that, see, e.g., https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34299433

Re: Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions

#384

Post by jccx70 »

qqtt wrote: post #98

I'm going to go against the grain here and say this is probably a positive thing for Meta products, and honestly every other "free" service to provide these kinds of revenue avenues. How many times do we hear things like "if the product is free, you are the product" - well, the consequence of that is development resources tend to be pulled into directions that benefit advertisers. By having material subscription reve…

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Re: Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions

#385

Post by egorfine »

fsflover wrote: post #381
egorfine wrote: post #373

I am a happy Instagram user. As a Ukrainian, this is the only connection left with lots of my friends now as we are scattered around the world. And I would happily pay $2.99/m for Instagram to have those better features. Problem is, facebook WILL raise the prices on these subscriptions every few months until they could not anymore. So I will have to pay probably like $12.99/m in a couple of years.

> this is the only connection left with lots of my friends now as we are scattered around the world Time to suggest them to join Mastodon and Pixelfed? Relying on a foreign, for-profit megacorp is a bad way to keep contact with friends.

> Time to suggest them to join Mastodon and Pixelfed

Sure. Guess how many of them will actually do it?

> Relying on a foreign, for-profit megacorp is a bad way to keep contact with friends.

I'd say it's exactly the opposite: relying on a foreign, for-profit megacorp is currently the best way to keep contact with friends.

Unfortunately.

Re: Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions

#386

Post by lolive »

ipaddr wrote: post #269
tgma wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are in the US and in a demographic who posts on Hacker News, $100-$250 is likely below your monthly revenue contribution to Google alone.

I've never paid Google for anything. I usually get a check from them. What does Google sell? Office clone, ads, map api credits, search api credits, ad free youtube, ai credits sometimes phones and speakers that get bricked?

They sell your digitalSelf habits.

Re: Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions

#387

Post by seanclayton »

sensanaty wrote: post #134
qqtt wrote: post #98

I'm going to go against the grain here and say this is probably a positive thing for Meta products, and honestly every other "free" service to provide these kinds of revenue avenues. How many times do we hear things like "if the product is free, you are the product" - well, the consequence of that is development resources tend to be pulled into directions that benefit advertisers. By having material subscription reve…

You paying just signals that you're someone to push more ads to and to harvest more data on, since it means you have disposable income to spend on something as useless as instagram or facebook. Meta isn't going to stop harvesting all your information just because you pay for a subscription, they'll harvest and sell your data AND take your money.

If it's a tech company it's not "if it's free you're the product" it's just "you're the product" nowadays. I am so happy kids these days no longer trust tech because I'd hate to see how exploited they'd be otherwise.

Re: Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions

#388

Post by seanclayton »

rtpg wrote: post #249
adjejmxbdjdn wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> By having material subscription revenue coming in for things outside the advertising space, the product managers can justify investing in features that otherwise would be passed up due to lack of revenue potential from advertising. You’re a Meta decision maker presented with 3 options. Which one do you pick? (remember, you’re not you…you’re a Meta decision maker trying to justify a trillion dollar valuation). - Pos…

to put a finer point on this: I pay for certain newspapers (well, digital subscriptions). Still plenty of ads in the articles!

Your lack of complaining is expected and depended on, but I do encourage your continued enthusiasm in that acceptance! Someone's bottom line depends on it, and they probably make way more money than you so they really need it!

Re: Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions

#389

Post by general_reveal »

qqtt wrote: post #98

I'm going to go against the grain here and say this is probably a positive thing for Meta products, and honestly every other "free" service to provide these kinds of revenue avenues. How many times do we hear things like "if the product is free, you are the product" - well, the consequence of that is development resources tend to be pulled into directions that benefit advertisers. By having material subscription reve…

Sisters, a 8B local model that hallucinates is better than that 50bn in sweaty VR shit they made. It is what it is, slap a monthly fee on the 3B model and move on, I suppose.

Re: Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions

#390

Post by scott01 »

panja wrote: post #380
Traubenfuchs wrote: post #357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Like you said "in my experience." You could use it for other things lol. My entire boring friend group uses it for none of those.

Same. Also the “russophile” part sounds kinda racist.
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