That's too bad. If you're paying, you're the customer. If you're not paying, you're the product.
WhatsApp will no longer charge subscription fees
11–20 of 88 posts
Re: WhatsApp will no longer charge subscription fees
#12Signal is also free and based on a business model that doesn't require eventually being able to interfere with your privacy and mine your data.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/signal-private-messenger/id8...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thoughtcri...
Re: WhatsApp will no longer charge subscription fees
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's a toss up: - WhatsApp uses reputable cryptography from reputable sources, but combines it with a UI so much designed for ease of use that it throws out the possibility of real security - Telegram uses extremely questionable cryptography to begin with from people who probably shouldn't be designing cryptosystems If you want real security, go use Signal or better, OTR where socialist millionaire's is still an opti…
> OTR where socialist millionaire's is still an option for key verification. Can you explain the socialist millionaire comment? I don't get it.
Re: WhatsApp will no longer charge subscription fees
#14Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's a toss up: - WhatsApp uses reputable cryptography from reputable sources, but combines it with a UI so much designed for ease of use that it throws out the possibility of real security - Telegram uses extremely questionable cryptography to begin with from people who probably shouldn't be designing cryptosystems If you want real security, go use Signal or better, OTR where socialist millionaire's is still an opti…
> OTR where socialist millionaire's is still an option for key verification. Can you explain the socialist millionaire comment? I don't get it.
Re: WhatsApp will no longer charge subscription fees
#15Paid business services for customer interaction, sound like a plausible business model for WhatsApp. However, I get the feeling this is only part of the story. I assume that data mined by WhatsApp are probably more valuable to Facebook.
Re: WhatsApp will no longer charge subscription fees
#16That's too bad. If you're paying, you're the customer. If you're not paying, you're the product.
People seem to say this all the time, but assuming it's true, what's inherently wrong with "being the product"?
Re: WhatsApp will no longer charge subscription fees
#17Not that I have met anyone who paid for Whatsapp, ever. :)
This is what I thought as well.
WhatsApp asked me for money a few times but wasn't overly bullish about it after I ignored it for a few days.
Not using WhatsApp isn't any obstacle as everyone seems to have a few messengers. I just pressed a different button, others answered on the platform I swiched to.
Re: WhatsApp will no longer charge subscription fees
#18I was in the audience and he gave a pretty clear hint that commerce (a la tencent) would be the path forward for monetization
Re: WhatsApp will no longer charge subscription fees
#19That's too bad. If you're paying, you're the customer. If you're not paying, you're the product.
People seem to say this all the time, but assuming it's true, what's inherently wrong with "being the product"?
It's just a catchy phrase designed to sound shocking as it suggests some opaque objectification.
Obviously you don't need to "be the product". Selling a shortcut to a bit of your attention makes a lot of money, too.
Edit: And you are always in the position to choose how much attention you grant the apps you use.
Re: WhatsApp will no longer charge subscription fees
#20That's too bad. If you're paying, you're the customer. If you're not paying, you're the product.
People seem to say this all the time, but assuming it's true, what's inherently wrong with "being the product"?
There's not much wrong with being the product as long as you are aware of that distinction. The problem arises when people aren't aware because this in essence takes away their right(option, if you will) to refuse to use the service.