Introducing Messenger Platform and Businesses on Messenger • Hacker News Board

Re: Introducing Messenger Platform and Businesses on Messenger

#11

Post by ehhuang » Wed, Mar 25, 2015, 7:49 PM UTC

nashadelic wrote: post #9

Kronopath wrote: post #4

Before anyone starts thinking this stuff is super-innovative and new, let me tell you what's really going on here: Facebook wants to make Messenger into a platform in the same way the big Asian chat apps are. Things like Weixin/WeChat or LINE. I mean, just look at the most recent additions to Messenger: - Stickers. These grew in popularity starting in Asian apps. [0] - Using Messenger for payments [1] and to send mon…

Innovative or not, that's not is going to determine the success of this. There has to be the ability to generate mass market adoption with innovation which Facebook is really good at.

just like it did with the poke app.

Re: Introducing Messenger Platform and Businesses on Messenger

#12

Post by canistr » Wed, Mar 25, 2015, 7:49 PM UTC

Kronopath wrote: post #4

Before anyone starts thinking this stuff is super-innovative and new, let me tell you what's really going on here: Facebook wants to make Messenger into a platform in the same way the big Asian chat apps are. Things like Weixin/WeChat or LINE. I mean, just look at the most recent additions to Messenger: - Stickers. These grew in popularity starting in Asian apps. [0] - Using Messenger for payments [1] and to send mon…

I don't think it's an either/or scenario for Facebook. Ultimately such experiences benefit the user regardless of where/when the initial innovation occurred. We've seen it over and over again. You don't need to be first or even last to the game. You just need to be the best at implementing it and your users will follow.

Re: Introducing Messenger Platform and Businesses on Messenger

#13

Post by txu » Wed, Mar 25, 2015, 7:51 PM UTC

I got pretty excited about it, but I really can't trust Facebook as much as before. They practically took "graph" off of "open graph" by disabling third party's ability to list users' friends and invite them.

I won't be surprised if later in the year some apps get banned from Facebook APIs because they touched Facebook's pie, which now covers pretty much everything. It's no accident half of the apps in the showcase are for sticker, GIF, and video replies as they pose no threat to core Facebook features.

So what's in it for us?

Re: Introducing Messenger Platform and Businesses on Messenger

#14

Post by th0br0 » Wed, Mar 25, 2015, 7:57 PM UTC

mladenkovacevic wrote: post #5

Oh look NSA had a product launch today. On a serious note I flirted with installing Messenger several times and couldn't go through with it after facing all the app permissions. As a platform I wonder if this will follow the same path as the Facebook Games/Apps platform. Rampant use, rise of at least one game company (Zynga), then gradual but consistent desertion. As a service for businesses, this is interesting and…

I agree with your stance on Messenger, yet I have found Cyanogen's Privacy Guard more than satisfying to limit Messenger's "spying" powers.

Outside of the US(?) I don't think that this has got much chance of taking off. The legal / data privacy ramifications of support knowing a customer's fb profile and all the information contained therein are something I find quite difficult to quantify.

Re: Introducing Messenger Platform and Businesses on Messenger

#15

Post by toomuchtodo » Wed, Mar 25, 2015, 7:59 PM UTC

pbreit wrote: post #8

colinhowe wrote: post #7

Disclaimer: I work for a company providing customer service over social media solutions. Allowing businesses to do messaging with customers is a big deal. It's been there on FB messenger for a while, but, it hasn't had the attention. We're seeing an increasing trend of customers wanting to contact businesses where they are rather than being forced to follow the business' requirements. Facebook is one of those places.

It's criminal that you can't text message businesses. That seems to me the most obvious route. Any IP-based phone system should support this. Not sure how it would work with AT&T.

Are you kidding me? I'm only 32, and I'd never consider texting a business. Call? Sure. Email? Sure. But texting? Seriously?

Re: Introducing Messenger Platform and Businesses on Messenger

#16

Post by sgarg26 » Wed, Mar 25, 2015, 7:59 PM UTC

txu wrote: post #13

I got pretty excited about it, but I really can't trust Facebook as much as before. They practically took "graph" off of "open graph" by disabling third party's ability to list users' friends and invite them. I won't be surprised if later in the year some apps get banned from Facebook APIs because they touched Facebook's pie, which now covers pretty much everything. It's no accident half of the apps in the showcase a…

Apps that have a healthy enough revenue stream such that they share a portion of their revenue with Facebook will probably not have to worry about trusting Facebook.

Re: Introducing Messenger Platform and Businesses on Messenger

#17

Post by sgarg26 » Wed, Mar 25, 2015, 8:02 PM UTC

txu wrote: post #13

I got pretty excited about it, but I really can't trust Facebook as much as before. They practically took "graph" off of "open graph" by disabling third party's ability to list users' friends and invite them. I won't be surprised if later in the year some apps get banned from Facebook APIs because they touched Facebook's pie, which now covers pretty much everything. It's no accident half of the apps in the showcase a…

I think they will open up their ecosystem to let a apps grow really big organically. Then they will try to figure out a monetization strategy with the largest apps. App makers that do not play ball will probably get cut regardless of how big they are... There are good examples: Consider Zynga vs Lolapps when Facebook originally opened their API.

Re: Introducing Messenger Platform and Businesses on Messenger

#18

Post by mandeepj » Wed, Mar 25, 2015, 8:07 PM UTC

nashadelic wrote: post #9

Kronopath wrote: post #4

Before anyone starts thinking this stuff is super-innovative and new, let me tell you what's really going on here: Facebook wants to make Messenger into a platform in the same way the big Asian chat apps are. Things like Weixin/WeChat or LINE. I mean, just look at the most recent additions to Messenger: - Stickers. These grew in popularity starting in Asian apps. [0] - Using Messenger for payments [1] and to send mon…

Innovative or not, that's not is going to determine the success of this. There has to be the ability to generate mass market adoption with innovation which Facebook is really good at.

The last success Facebook had seen was with their flagship product - Facebook website, rest they bought it (whatsapp, instagram). You know how it went with apps from facebook labs. I hope you remember how big of a disaster was Facebook phone.

Although, I laud their efforts of keep trying and trying.

Re: Introducing Messenger Platform and Businesses on Messenger

#19

Post by personlurking » Wed, Mar 25, 2015, 8:11 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #15

pbreit wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's criminal that you can't text message businesses. That seems to me the most obvious route. Any IP-based phone system should support this. Not sure how it would work with AT&T.

Are you kidding me? I'm only 32, and I'd never consider texting a business. Call? Sure. Email? Sure. But texting? Seriously?

I had a banking problem a few years ago and stumbled across a Twitter account of a "super rep" for the (major) bank. I tweeted him, he tweeted back in 60 seconds with his email. I emailed him right away and we had quick-fire chat over email and he said "let me fix your problem and I'll email you when it's fixed". About 3 minutes later, he emailed me back. The quickness of it all, plus the short-style emails going back-and-forth, reminded me of SMS and it was wonderful. In fact, I've never had better, nor quicker customer service. If it matters, I'm 33.

Re: Introducing Messenger Platform and Businesses on Messenger

#20

Post by wl » Wed, Mar 25, 2015, 8:18 PM UTC

benaiah wrote: post #3

I wonder if this is why they shut off their XMPP Messenger integration earlier this spring.

It's not gone just yet. It has a few more weeks of life. I saw this headline and thought maybe there'd be a way to continue to use Facebook messenger in Adium. Nope. Only if you're building an "app" for iOS or Android.