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OK, but a messenger app's usefulness is almost entirely (as with social networks) governed by its network effects. You can have the best tool in the world, but

OK, but a messenger app's usefulness is almost entirely (as with social networks) governed by its network effects. You can have the best tool in the world, but if no one uses it, it's worthless. It's a real shame that WA decided to drop their paid model (though at the price they were asking for it's clear to see why they'd favour this model). Do we just have to face up to the reality with social networks and communication apps such as these, which is that the power comes from most people using it, and when most people don't care (s/care/understand/) about privacy, the "freemium" (we can haz data) model is the most obvious to profit from and so the one to which all the successful businesses are drawn to?

creshal 10y ago
> OK, but a messenger app's usefulness is almost entirely (as with social networks) governed by its network effects. You can have the best tool in the world, but if no one uses it, it's worthless. That's what we have been struggling with since the mid-90s, yes. IRC will always exists, but past that?
- 2T1Qka0rEiPr 10y ago
  +1 for the suggestion of IRC being the best messaging app!
  - creshal 10y ago
    It hasn't the best user experience, but it's the only one I've been able to consistently use for the past 15 or so years. (Yes, yes, I was late to the party, I know.)