https://about.fb.com/news/2023/09/whatsapp-channels-heres-everything-you-need-to-know/
WhatsApp Channels will deliver a private way for people to receive updates that matter to them. We’re welcoming some of the biggest celebrities, sports teams, artists, creators that people can follow.
You heard a cool new word and used it where it doesn't work, this feature isn't bad at all. If Signal didn't alienate a large number of users by removing SMS maybe switching would be more viable.
If Signal didn't alienate a large number of users by removing SMS maybe switching would be more viable.
This. I hate Whatsapp, but I have to use it because that's what everybody else (where I live) uses, so either I cave, or be Incommunicable by everyone and get used to explaining why while sounding like a dork.
I used Signal because, although a very small set of friends used it, I had an excuse to keep it because it handled SMS, and so I could keep it in the hopes that eventually WA would shoot itself in the foot and people would finally migrate, but since they removed SMS, why the hell would I hold on to it if I'd have no reason to other that I like it?
In my experience, people might raise an eyebrow when you say you don't have WhatsApp, but I never had to explain myself. Even then, saying "I don't trust Facebook" will make most people understand.
I don't know the technical issues, buy couldn't a fork of Signal revive SMS support? I would switch to such a fork and help everyone I know also do so.
alienate a large number of users by removing SMS
Would you mind elaborating on this?
SMS in Signal was never secure (it's SMS), and so it was removed. Now I have private messaging in Signal, and if some one sends me an SMS, it shows up in my stock texting app. No false sense of security and it's very easy to use 2 apps.
Yes I dropped signal when it stopped supporting sms. That was a really dumb choice and I honestly don’t know why they did it
Turning a messaging app for myself and friends into a data farming social media app full of paid promotions is absolutely the definition of enshittification.
The enshittification actually began several years ago, back when FB bought WhatsApp. That was the moment you gave up on privacy, the moment that was a clear sign that it was all going to go downhill from there. If y'all didn't quit WhatsApp at that time, then you bought it upon yourselves. The truth is, you've been using a shitty service for a long time and whoring your data to Meta and making Zuckerberg richer, so this latest feature bloat or w/e isn't the least bit interesting.
Unofficially, yes probably. But officially Facebook only upped the ante on user data connection from WhatsApp more recently according to their privacy policy. Sorry, "Meta"