Are softbank actually the biggest idiots in VC? It almost seems like everything they invest in is a handshake deal built on "just trust me bro" numbers.
Not just SoftBank. Founders Fund too.
A messaging app startup that raised $200M shuts down afters users were 95% fake
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Re: A messaging app startup that raised $200M shuts down afters users were 95% fake
#12How are messaging apps still getting these valuations when Telegram, signal, Whatsapp and lime chat exist?
Only one of those doesn't require your phone number. It'll be nice when we get to the point where we can have a proper working chat app that doesn't require one. Hangouts used to be great but Google has to always make sure their chat doesn't work.
Without a phone number how do you prevent abuse and spam?
Re: A messaging app startup that raised $200M shuts down afters users were 95% fake
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
Only one of those doesn't require your phone number. It'll be nice when we get to the point where we can have a proper working chat app that doesn't require one. Hangouts used to be great but Google has to always make sure their chat doesn't work.
Without a phone number how do you prevent abuse and spam?
You can purchase access to phone numbers for the purposes of verifying accounts. While phone numbers are a method to prevent easy sybil attacks, it is not effective when dealing with a determined actor.
Re: A messaging app startup that raised $200M shuts down afters users were 95% fake
#14Are softbank actually the biggest idiots in VC? It almost seems like everything they invest in is a handshake deal built on "just trust me bro" numbers.
Not just SoftBank. Founders Fund too.
Founders Fund offloads it onto the next guy though. And very well too (looking at you, StemCentrx and AbbVie).
Re: A messaging app startup that raised $200M shuts down afters users were 95% fake
#15Earlier quoted context omitted.
Only one of those doesn't require your phone number. It'll be nice when we get to the point where we can have a proper working chat app that doesn't require one. Hangouts used to be great but Google has to always make sure their chat doesn't work.
Without a phone number how do you prevent abuse and spam?
I can pick up PAYG Sims for verifying for essentially nothing (I think the cheapest I've seen here is 10p).
A phone number proves, and stops nothing.
If you can't detect spam from either the message, the volume or from other users reporting, then you have bigger problems.
Re: A messaging app startup that raised $200M shuts down afters users were 95% fake
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
Without a phone number how do you prevent abuse and spam?
You can purchase access to phone numbers for the purposes of verifying accounts. While phone numbers are a method to prevent easy sybil attacks, it is not effective when dealing with a determined actor.
It raises the cost for any spammer, including determined actors. More code, more complexity, plus the cost to actually rent the numbers.
A lot of tech bros need to touch grass and realize that the rest of the world doesn’t mind giving their phone number to a chat app.
Re: A messaging app startup that raised $200M shuts down afters users were 95% fake
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can purchase access to phone numbers for the purposes of verifying accounts. While phone numbers are a method to prevent easy sybil attacks, it is not effective when dealing with a determined actor.
It raises the cost for any spammer, including determined actors. More code, more complexity, plus the cost to actually rent the numbers. A lot of tech bros need to touch grass and realize that the rest of the world doesn’t mind giving their phone number to a chat app.
> More code, more complexity, plus the cost to actually rent the numbers
Not a big deal, there's sms verification services, they have APIs and premade libraries, cost is about ~$0.06/verification depending on which service you use, and less with bulk discounts.
Re: A messaging app startup that raised $200M shuts down afters users were 95% fake
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can purchase access to phone numbers for the purposes of verifying accounts. While phone numbers are a method to prevent easy sybil attacks, it is not effective when dealing with a determined actor.
It raises the cost for any spammer, including determined actors. More code, more complexity, plus the cost to actually rent the numbers. A lot of tech bros need to touch grass and realize that the rest of the world doesn’t mind giving their phone number to a chat app.
It starts from 4 cents per number. If my bot isn't going to make that 4 cent within its first few hours I am in the wrong business.
Re: A messaging app startup that raised $200M shuts down afters users were 95% fake
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can purchase access to phone numbers for the purposes of verifying accounts. While phone numbers are a method to prevent easy sybil attacks, it is not effective when dealing with a determined actor.
It raises the cost for any spammer, including determined actors. More code, more complexity, plus the cost to actually rent the numbers. A lot of tech bros need to touch grass and realize that the rest of the world doesn’t mind giving their phone number to a chat app.
There are scenarios, such as communicating with my children, where someone doesn't have a phone number.
Hangouts worked great until Google got bored and trashed it with Duo/whatever the other one was, that's all I was saying.
Re: A messaging app startup that raised $200M shuts down afters users were 95% fake
#20[flagged]
Oh word?