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General discussionWhatsapp, viber, etc...(25 posts)(25 posts)
(25 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted June 05, 2015
So, various people are pushing me to install apps like whatsapp or viber on my android phone. I do use skype, I've been using various old instant messenging systems, but I've proudly refused to get into suff like twitter or facebook or myspace back then.

I'm being told that no no nonono this is nothing like that.

Except that the install asks the authorisation to operate absolutely any aspect of my phone, and that, if I understood well, those thingies automatically go through your contact lists to add them and inform of your availability whoever's phone number is present on your mobile. Heck, the mere fact that it requires me to type my phone number in at install completely freak me out.

Are you using these things ? Am I wrong to be horrified by these tools, or will I turn as smugly self-satisfyingly right as when I was snobbing facebook ? What are your experiences, regrets, stances, policies, about these apps ? What privacy are they allowing for, except for "the freedom to just not answer some people" ?
Posted June 05, 2015
I frequently use whatsapp, and find it very useful. A friend of mine is in Scotland and we often communicate through whatsapp. Once you install it, it will go through your contacts and list everyone that is using it (when you run the app). Also, you should now also show up on their phones as someone who uses it. You can then message whoever you want. The only kind of annoying things is that everyone can see when last you opened the messenger, which complicates matters if you don't want to respond to somebody right away. That is, for example, a dude sent a message at 05:15 pm and he can see that you were last online at 05:17 pm leaving him with reason to believe that you've seen his message. That's one aspect I don't really like. Apart from that I think it's great. It's the first app I install on a new phone.
Posted June 05, 2015
I would avoid WhatsApp simply because Facebook owns it which mean you have no privacy whatsoever.

I recommend this instead: . It's open source, focused on simplicity yet functional and comes with optimal performance. It supports both cloud storage in case you want logs of your regular messages or [url=https://telegram.org/faq#secret-chats]secret chats that utilizes so called end-to-end encryption. Platform support include Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, iOS, Windows Phone and a web client.

There are tools out there such as XPrivacy that can force the permissions applications are allowed to have which is quite convenient if you care what they do.
Posted June 05, 2015
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Telika: Am I wrong to be horrified by these tools, or will I turn as smugly self-satisfyingly right as when I was snobbing facebook ?
No, and no.

Apps asking for permissions to do everything but kidnap your children if you set the phone down isn't really a surprise. It sounds more dire than it actually is, and if you think for one instant that your phone is somehow secure and private then hooooo boy have you got another think coming.

disclaimer: I don't use any social media and nobody is my friend because I am a terrible person and I hate you all
Posted June 05, 2015
Whatsapp uses your phone number as your unique identifier in their system, which is why it is asked of you.
I avoided Whatsapp for the longest time, but my family kept insisting (as a means to stay in touch with them), so I finally caved in a while back. Can't say I'm happy, but eh, what can you do. I force close it whenever I'm not interested in using it, and keep my wifi (and data plan) off most of the time anyhow.

The problem with other "safer" and more secure chat programs and protocols is convincing others to use them with you. If you're being cajoled into using a chat program (like Whatsapp) by someone, chances are they're using that, and that is why they want you to. It is unlikely they'll add another program only for you.
Posted June 06, 2015
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Matewis: you should now also show up on their phones as someone who uses it.
Okay so nope.
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Matewis: everyone can see when last you opened the messenger
Okay so nope.
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Nirth: I recommend this instead
but
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babark: If you're being cajoled into using a chat program (like Whatsapp) by someone, chances are they're using that, and that is why they want you to.
therefore nope.
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OneFiercePuppy: nobody is my friend because I am a terrible person and I hate you all
Yeah well I used to have friends, see. I have now to inform them that nope.

Well, thanks for the clarification people. You all deserve to not be friended on any network system, and I mean it in the most flattering sense.

(As for those of you who currently are on my gog friends list, my apologies, but we don't always get what we deserve. :-( )
Post edited June 06, 2015 by Telika
Posted June 06, 2015
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babark: It is unlikely they'll add another program only for you.
Then the answer is obvious: you need to find a pursuade skillbook.. or two.
Posted June 06, 2015
I use both Viber ,Whatsapp etc extensively - here is my take on them -

Viber = bloated & has a higher footprint.Seems to me a higher number people use it (based on my friends - plenty). Voice calls over wifi is surprisingly clear, however it can be choppy when it says quality is excellent :/. Messaging is good - you can use stickers (which many chat apps are starting to use). However the downside to me is - you can backup your chats however there is no way (people have been asking and devs seem to ignore this) to officially import your chat history if you move to another phone (there are hacks but how many actually use them ???). Because of this you basically start viber fresh again when you move to a new phone - there is no way to associate viber media downloaded back to specific contacts :/. Only officially supported on a limited number of devices (admittedly the most popular phones - its hit or miss depending on your non supported device)

Whatsapp - owned by facebook (yeah i was a bit umm err when this happened).Good number of my friends use it. Messaging is good although the timestamps & when messages are viewed always erratic & at times inaccurate. Photos,videos transferring files works well (within reason). Love the emoticons. I havent tried moving my chats to a new phone *yet* however there is a FAQ on how to do it and apparently done pretty easily . Voice calls seem to be ok.Needs more testing.

Wechat - many of my chinese friends use this, but i find it more bloated and laggy than viber.

LINE - claims to be one of most popular.I wonder where. i have like 5 friends who use it (as opposed to more than 100 on either viber or whatsapp)

Personal preference *is* whatsapp for me despite being owned by facebook :/. Better overall package . Yes it doesnt offer stickers (i can live without them). But i feel its lighter and performs better.
Id love to use telegram as suggested above but literally no one i know uses it....
Posted June 06, 2015
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Niggles: I use both Viber ,Whatsapp etc extensively - here is my take on them -

Viber = bloated & has a higher footprint.Seems to me a higher number people use it (based on my friends - plenty). Voice calls over wifi is surprisingly clear, however it can be choppy when it says quality is excellent :/. Messaging is good - you can use stickers (which many chat apps are starting to use). However the downside to me is - you can backup your chats however there is no way (people have been asking and devs seem to ignore this) to officially import your chat history if you move to another phone (there are hacks but how many actually use them ???). Because of this you basically start viber fresh again when you move to a new phone - there is no way to associate viber media downloaded back to specific contacts :/. Only officially supported on a limited number of devices (admittedly the most popular phones - its hit or miss depending on your non supported device)

Whatsapp - owned by facebook (yeah i was a bit umm err when this happened).Good number of my friends use it. Messaging is good although the timestamps & when messages are viewed always erratic & at times inaccurate. Photos,videos transferring files works well (within reason). Love the emoticons. I havent tried moving my chats to a new phone *yet* however there is a FAQ on how to do it and apparently done pretty easily . Voice calls seem to be ok.Needs more testing.

Wechat - many of my chinese friends use this, but i find it more bloated and laggy than viber.

LINE - claims to be one of most popular.I wonder where. i have like 5 friends who use it (as opposed to more than 100 on either viber or whatsapp)

Personal preference *is* whatsapp for me despite being owned by facebook :/. Better overall package . Yes it doesnt offer stickers (i can live without them). But i feel its lighter and performs better.
Id love to use telegram as suggested above but literally no one i know uses it....
And i assume all of them do the "import every contact indicriminately and show to every each one of them that you use it" trick ?
Post edited June 06, 2015 by Telika
Posted June 06, 2015
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Telika: Are you using these things ?
No. I haven't used a "smart" device since 2013.
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Telika: Am I wrong to be horrified by these tools, or will I turn as smugly self-satisfyingly right as when I was snobbing facebook ?
It's not quite the same. Facebook wants to eat you alive and shit you out for the benefit of the advertizers. Twitter and the messenger apps don't, they don't have enough functions for that.
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Telika: What are your experiences, regrets, stances, policies, about these apps ?
I don't have a social life, and I only have one local friend I'm talking to on something approaching a regular basis, and even then it's usually stuff like "zomg that chick ran off to join ISIS and now the official news are twisting their panties in a pretzel over a Russian joining illegal militants", not "can I has 3mm allen wrench pls kthx".

As it is, the local phone and messaging services are already terrible, "enhancing" the user experience with ads, colluding with scammy payment systems to steal money, etc. Banking software on the phone is a disaster in the making regardless of what else is there on it, and a private entity already owns my communications, so why not those? (Well, Whatsapp is owned by Facebook, but the general principle stands.) Communication software which allows for e.g. data takeout is a clear winner over what a dumbphone offers.
Posted June 06, 2015
I'm too paranoid about application's permissions. So Viber, whatsapp and similar ... are applications that will not soon be installed on my mobile.
Posted June 06, 2015
Whatsapp fine.

Line fine.

BBM fine.
Posted June 06, 2015
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Telika: And i assume all of them do the "import every contact indicriminately and show to every each one of them that you use it" trick ?
Telegram has a Last Seen setting where you can set "Nobody" which I use but also add exceptions. I don't think imports any contacts and it doesn't add them to a huge database like the others, it's more decentralized like that but I can't promise anything, you will have to ask some IT specialist that have read through the source code. You can also block users.

XDA thread on Telegram

There's some information about how secure it actually is.
Post edited June 06, 2015 by Nirth
Posted June 06, 2015
I had whatsapp, forced by my family to "stay in contact". Annoying as hell. I should never have let them know I was bitten by that scorpion, they will just get worried for no reason. And that's not counting all the stupid messages that keep coming. I lost that phone, got a new one, did not install it on that one. I'm a happier man now.
Posted June 06, 2015
Scorpions don't eat fruit. Freudian slip.
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionWhatsapp, viber, etc...(25 posts)(25 posts)
(25 posts)