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Out of the western networks, Kik, Telegram, and Viber still do usernames. Kik, notably, still has a fairly laissez-faire culture and a userbase that skews youn
by sarcasmic 9y ago
Out of the western networks, Kik, Telegram, and Viber still do usernames.
Kik, notably, still has a fairly laissez-faire culture and a userbase that skews young, which makes it the most comparable modern network to the feel of something like AIM in its heyday; with the difference that so many people having overlapping identities, discourse is now fragmented between various platforms for reasons more than just network effects.
- lightedman 9y agoTelegram requires a phone number even for the desktop app - that's just mind-boggling and a turnoff for me trying to move to a new service.
- sarcasmic 9y agoI should clarify, both Telegram and Viber allow usernames but require phone numbers for creation, and there's definitely an emphasis on phone numbers as the preferred identifier. Kik (and Snapchat, if I recall) are two of an increasingly thinning number of networks which operate on usernames only, and you can use without giving the provider (or anyone you're trying to chat with) your phone number.
- skinnymuch 9y agoHow popular is Kik really? Snapchat for all its hype has had growth slowed like crazy and is in the lower hundred millions.
- TheKarateKid 9y agoAgreed. Add to the fact that much like AIM back in the day, Kik is pretty craptastic compared to competing messaging apps. But, it's so fast and reliable that it makes it worth using.