Meanwhile literally everyone uses it here. Choose between forfeiting your privacy or isolation. I’ve already left Instagram and that cut me out of a good portion of online interaction here. Leaving whatsapp would eliminate most forms of contact I have with people here. The only thing left is mobile calling, and SMS, which is basically forgotten by everyone. The shit that happens when one platform rules over all.
And lose the ability to interact with all those people that won’t be convinced to switch to less of a software gore?
Yeah, definitely great idea, so rebel & stuff…
Huh, I didn’t realize WhatsApp was still around.
It’s pretty much ubiquitous in the UK. Say you don’t use it and you get a very funny look
It is the default mode of text communication here. My dad insists on using normal texts and that’s a bit weird…
I’m that dad, I’m afraid. The fact that the app demands full access to all contacts on your phone to work nicely is just evil. And people happily give meta the full contact details of their family, doctor, bank, boss etc. - without those people’s permission. The value in the harvested social graph is huge
This article didn’t really give any new reasons not to use WhatsApp. All the reasons stated in the article are already known. I thought this article was about a new breach or something, but it’s a rehash of info that’s been around a while. The article is also a few months old, dating back to April.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, people will use whatever app they’re most comfortable with and whatever app their friends use, regardless of security (“I got nothing to hide!”) or features (“I don’t care about x or y!”). Then you end up like me, using several different apps. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as I like using different apps and seeing how features differ from app to app, like how an app shows link previews, or if it can display a meme by pasting the link in the text box vs having to download the image and attach it in-line. But it’s hard to get people to switch when a lot of people don’t care.
Then you end up like me, using several different apps. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as I like using different apps and seeing how features differ from app to app, like how an app shows link previews, or if it can display a meme by pasting the link in the text box vs having to download the image and attach it in-line.
I want to thank you for this comment. You made me think of something that felt like my mind was expanding a bit. You’re mentioning a kind of personal decentralized attitude towards what apps we use.
Why stuck to just one? Why put all eggs in one basket? Yeah, I know it’s more comfortable. But being comfortable does not make it safe, failure-proof. With this I’m not trying to point out some faux-pas on your thinking. Rather the reverse. You’re hinting at something that bears a lot of meaning.
Instead of me being frustrated because other people won’t change their platforms, I can see that as an opportunity to decentralize my own practices. I can embrace other people’s immobility as both an example of what I should avoid and of being forced to keep a lot of channels open. While they’re stuck into the centralization trap, I’m federating between different instances.
Again, thank you for your comment. It was really eye opening.
The problem is everybody is using it and its impossible to move to signal etc
I mean yeah, but i would have no contacts to anyone, here in germany we literally use nothing else, contact to teachers for assignments is lost, couldnt text with my family, would have no contact to my friends etc
Not only everybody, but companies, banks and goverment instances are using it too. Some apps that sends their OTP via WhatsApp. Some companies and instances only reachable.via whatsapp bot and whatnot.
Dang, I’m feeling pretty lucky that no one in my life uses WhatsApp. Sounds like that’s not the norm.
In europe literally everybody uses whatsapp you wont be able to do anything without it (docotrs, food delivery, literally every person like friends and familly, corona test results, company customer support, the list goes on)
That’s grossly exaggerated. I live in western Europe and never once used WhatsApp. There are very occasional frictions, like people being surprised I don’t have it. Then when I explain that it’s operated by Facebook, they are also surprised and sometimes are willing to quit themselves.
It’s not nearly as common in the US as it seems to be in many places in Europe.
Also all of South America. Everything from ordering pizza to scheduling a doctor’s appointment. Not having WhatsApp means you are not able to participate in society
