All these (ad)ons always take priority over performance.

232 points

Am I the only one who doesn’t want any, “do everything,” apps? I’d rather have 10 apps that each do one thing really well than have one app that haphazardly attempts to do 10 things.

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118 points

At some point we’re just back to building web browsers with spyware built in.

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28 points

Sooner or later there will be an API to build your own apps and systems. Then we just rebuild a webbrower, but made it worse

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32 points
*

I see you are rebelling against Web 2.0, where you only need 3-4 apps or sites to do everything! Don’t be afraid. The old days of dozens of sites is gone and now the oligarchy of megacorps will take care of you with your 2-3 apps. You’ll have fewer apps that could go wrong and you’ll ever need to keep up with your 1-2 apps! Eventually the FTC will see the error of their ways and your One App will truly simplify your life!

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22 points

Verification cans :(

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31 points

Make each program do one thing well. To do a new job, build afresh rather than complicate old programs by adding new “features”.

Unix philosophy. 50 years old idea. Imo devs would love to work that way but they are never the ones making decisions. And every CEO wants to have the new everything app ala wechat.

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10 points

I already have a “do everything” app.

It is called the Operating System.

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7 points

It sounds to me like they’re trying to go like Wechat did

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3 points

If I want to shop for something online, I’ll go to a website like Amazon.

If I want to transfer money online, I’ll go to a website like PayPal.

I don’t like the monopolizing those companies are doing, but they’re at least more transparent than doing it through a chat app. Can you even do returns for chat app purchases? I did a return with Amazon the other day and they just credited my account. They didn’t even ask for the book (I accidentally bought 2 copies) back.

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78 points
*
Deleted by creator
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39 points

Better than Twitter, but still not great.

Anyone trying to reproduce WeChat in the west is insane. Nobody needs it. Nobody wants it. The conditions that allowed it to take off in China do not exist in the west.

The only company with a real chance of success is Apple, and their business model is a little more resistant to such corruption, at least for now.

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37 points

The rabid duopolist that doesn’t even allow users to install whatever apps they want on their devices? The one that doesn’t even allow alternative browser engines? The one that outright refuses to use any and all open standards or to allow interoperability unless forced by governments? They might be one the worst companies in the world to do it.

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20 points

Yeah. Apple basically has a captive market. Not to the extent of WeChat, but more than other western players.

The fact that Apple makes their money (mostly) on hardware sales, subscriptions, and their big-ass cut of App Store sales, instead of advertising like Google and Facebook, is why they are not likely to pull this crap in the near future. They don’t need to.

The online advertising ship is sinking, and Facebook is a rat desperately trying to find a way off.

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6 points

Facebook is the best positioned by far, they just need a popular payment service

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11 points
*

Well they tried, but they gave up before it even released.

Anyone remembering Libra?

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3 points

Here in Spain everyone uses whatsapp. I clearly see people buying products through the app from local businesses. I don’t necessarily like it, but it has high chance of being successful (not like channels, which will for sure be discontinued)

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67 points

WhatsApp is a shithole. Communities, Channels, Payments, Avatars all these destroyed the simple chat app. Meta is aiming for a monopoly here.

Signal and Telegram pretty much useless if you don’t have your needful people on the platform.

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13 points

Thankfully I don’t have people I need on WhatsApp, but it took some convincing.

Nowadays I only have dentist and barbershop on WhatsApp, all my folks are on Telegram, including all work communications.

WhatsApp was always lacking features; WhatsApp web can’t replace a full featured desktop client which is a must have for me; and its mobile client is inconvenient in every possible way.

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4 points

WA does have a desktop client. Fuck that though.

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6 points

Last time I checked it was a 600-800Mb monster that is just a wrapper of the web page

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8 points

It’s just not a battle I am willing to fight. Too many people I can’t contact without Whatsapp and none of them willing to swap.

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9 points

Thanks to EU, you’ll be able to contact these people on WhatsApp without using WhatsApp.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/11/whatsapp-has-started-work-on-cross-platform-messaging-due-to-eu-regulation/

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1 point

That’s great to know!

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63 points

Great, I can’t wait for Whatsapp to be the only way to reach customer support and make payments. I always felt the confused look of people when I tell them I don’t have Whatsapp wasn’t enough.

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10 points

always felt the confused look of people when I tell them I don’t have Whatsapp wasn’t enough.

the worst part is that most people cannot fathom that you don’t have Whatsapp and you want to continue not having. The confused look is because their way of thinking is “ok you don’t have, so what, open an account, it’s taking 10 seconds”.

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4 points

Same argument for installing Signal

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1 point

When contractors try to get me to communicate with them on what’s appropriate, I am happy to tell them that it’s forbidden on company devices.

Typically that conversation started on email, which they don’t want to continue using for reasons they usually can’t explain well.

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47 points

Today, on “Features No One Asked For”.

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17 points

“Features board members demanded because they increase value for shareholders”

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0 points

*except nearly the entirety of India, but who cares about a country with nearly a billion customers

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