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Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

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Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#351

Post by gcr »

galdosdi wrote: post #295

This is kind of convenient; it gives me one more excuse not to use facebook. A few days ago I got the usual notification email that somebody had sent me a message on FB. Clicking is a low barrier so I clicked, curiously. Then I instead got the "No, now you have to install Messenger app" screen. That was enough of a barrier that I said "oh forget it, who cares, anybody who knows me would know better than to send me an…

I see it the opposite way. Using Messenge could give you a great way to use facebook without subjecting yourself to the News Feed Giant Tentacled Monster.

Why not use Messenger without Facebook?

My reason not to use Facebook was because it trivializes friendships. With Facebook, I wouldn't have to go out of my way to be "friends" with someone, so the relationship would be less meaningful. But Messenger doesn't share that property --- you have to bother to click on someone's name and you have to bother to think up a good message to send them. That means it's no worse than any other IM client, with the strong advantage that your real-world friends already use it. You get to keep up with them in the way you want to, and they get to keep up with you in the way they want to.

Best of both worlds?

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#352

Post by mr_spothawk »

teej wrote: post #327
rtpg wrote: post #299

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The counterpoint is that I know heavy FB users (myself included) who have opted to just install Messenger on their phones, essentially being able to get rid of FB on the phone, to limit distractions but keep the nice communication While I kinda get removing it from the mobile app, I don't really know what the rationale is for getting rid of mobile web chat though. It's not like it's disappearing from the desktop web…

The rationale that Facebook is using is chat isn't chat anymore, chat is a platform. You have Line/QQ/WeChat to thank for that. Cut the edges to funnel into the "core", and soup it up with platform features to compete with China. Personally I'm not convinced that "Westerners" are going to get on board with Chinese-style all-in-one chat apps. I'm doubly unconvinced that Facebook will pull it off.

As a westerner, WeChat was one of the coolest apps I encountered living in China.

That said, we should probably consider all of these platforms harmful. I've migrated (and been pressuring my connections to migrate) to Telegram.org

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#353

Post by oneloop »

Matt3o12_ wrote: post #300
oneloop wrote: post #230

It's really sad to me to see a bunch of intelligent people here being led like sheep by Facebook (no, this isn't a sheeple post, hear me out) Virtually everyone here complains "Facebook does XYZ really bad but I still use them because all my friends are there". I have a solution. Why don't you get all your friends off there? Pick a platform that you really like and start evangelising. The only reason why Facebook has…

How did you make your friends use telegram instead just for you? I use iMessage with my best friend and my dad because it is my preferred way of communication (it is fairly secure, easy to use, and I can reply from my watch, Mac, iPad and iPhone, unlike any competitor except email). For everybody else I have to use what's app because they cannot be bothered to install an app just to contact me once a week (or some ev…

"Hey did you check out that app I asked you?"

"Hey, the other day I wanted to text you and it's so much more comfortable if I can type from my laptop, would you please install it? It's just like WhatsApp, you won't even see the difference."

"Hey, remember that app I told you about the other day? Turns out that the founder is this guy who cloned Facebook in Russia, and the government went after him and stole his company, how insane is that? He's now cloning WhatsApp, but better, could you please check it out?"

etc etc if there's a will there's a way

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#354

Post by oneloop »

danneu wrote: post #291
oneloop wrote: post #230

It's really sad to me to see a bunch of intelligent people here being led like sheep by Facebook (no, this isn't a sheeple post, hear me out) Virtually everyone here complains "Facebook does XYZ really bad but I still use them because all my friends are there". I have a solution. Why don't you get all your friends off there? Pick a platform that you really like and start evangelising. The only reason why Facebook has…

I'm sure if I fussed enough, I could get a handful of my friends to use some app I was fixated on, just for me, and they'd do it just to avoid stressing our friendship to its end as I drone on and on about privacy and encryption and sheeple.

Yes, but this wasn't something that no one cares about. Typing on your laptop is objectively better.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#355

Post by oneloop »

draw_down wrote: post #264
oneloop wrote: post #230

It's really sad to me to see a bunch of intelligent people here being led like sheep by Facebook (no, this isn't a sheeple post, hear me out) Virtually everyone here complains "Facebook does XYZ really bad but I still use them because all my friends are there". I have a solution. Why don't you get all your friends off there? Pick a platform that you really like and start evangelising. The only reason why Facebook has…

It's not clear to me why I should be upset that messaging was split out from one app to another? Why is that "being led like sheep"?

My comment on sheep is being misunderstood in the original post.

I'm not calling people sheep for liking an app. I'm calling people sheep for not questioning the lore "that no one leaves because all their friends are there".

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#356

Post by oneloop »

ben-en wrote: post #266
oneloop wrote: post #230

It's really sad to me to see a bunch of intelligent people here being led like sheep by Facebook (no, this isn't a sheeple post, hear me out) Virtually everyone here complains "Facebook does XYZ really bad but I still use them because all my friends are there". I have a solution. Why don't you get all your friends off there? Pick a platform that you really like and start evangelising. The only reason why Facebook has…

Thanks for the tip on telegram. Whatsapp's requirement that your phone be connected is needlessly aggravating.

Exactly. But back in those days Telegram was WAY ahead of WhatsApp (in terms of features). Nowadays, the ability of logging in onto the webapp without your phone is pretty much the one thing that Telegram does better. I read somewhere (maybe on HN?) that to have end-to-end encryption for some reason it has to work the way WhatsApp does it. I don't know why, but it's consistent with the fact that Telegram does not allow encryption on the webapp. I'm not an expert on this though.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#357

Post by mr_spothawk »

eddieroger wrote: post #278
cisstrd wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then the gravitational pull you have on your friends and family seem to be far greater than what I have. Because besides incredibly few exceptions no one uses another Smartphone App for me, no one wants to have an explanation how IRC works, and E-Mails seem to be good for everything but writing to me. No one will change their behaviour in any regard just for me. Maybe because I am not one trying to force something do…

I was thinking something along similar lines. It's not like I brought my friends to Facebook in the first place - we all just ended up there. Even worse, so did my parents and their friends. If I had brought them to Facebook in the first place, that'd be one thing, but it is so big it has it's own pull, and honestly I don't think I can compete with that. What's more is I don't want to - if I have to hard sell someone…

as I reflect on the sentiment of this message, I am brought to tears.

these soldiers won't fight to save their own asses, much less will they risk their own necks. their friend's just wound up here.

it's not my fault.

it's not my fault.

we failed before we tried.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#358

Post by [deleted] »

oneloop wrote: post #353
Matt3o12_ wrote: post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How did you make your friends use telegram instead just for you? I use iMessage with my best friend and my dad because it is my preferred way of communication (it is fairly secure, easy to use, and I can reply from my watch, Mac, iPad and iPhone, unlike any competitor except email). For everybody else I have to use what's app because they cannot be bothered to install an app just to contact me once a week (or some ev…

"Hey did you check out that app I asked you?" "Hey, the other day I wanted to text you and it's so much more comfortable if I can type from my laptop, would you please install it? It's just like WhatsApp, you won't even see the difference." "Hey, remember that app I told you about the other day? Turns out that the founder is this guy who cloned Facebook in Russia, and the government went after him and stole his compa…

[deleted]

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#359

Post by JumpCrisscross »

rtpg wrote: post #299
galdosdi wrote: post #295

This is kind of convenient; it gives me one more excuse not to use facebook. A few days ago I got the usual notification email that somebody had sent me a message on FB. Clicking is a low barrier so I clicked, curiously. Then I instead got the "No, now you have to install Messenger app" screen. That was enough of a barrier that I said "oh forget it, who cares, anybody who knows me would know better than to send me an…

The counterpoint is that I know heavy FB users (myself included) who have opted to just install Messenger on their phones, essentially being able to get rid of FB on the phone, to limit distractions but keep the nice communication While I kinda get removing it from the mobile app, I don't really know what the rationale is for getting rid of mobile web chat though. It's not like it's disappearing from the desktop web…

> just install Messenger...to limit distractions

Interesting. I have been much happier since killing the Fb app'a notification and badge permissions.

Re: Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

#360

Post by darkstar999 »

Geee wrote: post #319
lholden wrote: post #79

I only use facebook over the browser when using my phone. The facebook applications request an appalling number of permissions... never mind the general intrusiveness and battery hogging. Screw you Facebook.

This is a problem with Android, not Facebook. iOS asks for permissions "on-demand", not when the app is installed. And everything can be denied and you can still use the app.

New Android apps do that too. Unfortunately older apps ask for all permissions from the start, but I assume they will deprecate that eventually.
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