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Back when I was a WhatsApp user, I for one enjoyed the refreshing total absence of notification spam. If I got a ping, it was because a real person I know had s

by _wmd 8y ago

Back when I was a WhatsApp user, I for one enjoyed the refreshing total absence of notification spam. If I got a ping, it was because a real person I know had something to say. Just a cold, focused person-person messaging app. Even Facebook could not top that Opening the floodgates to cron jobs dilutes the value of the service for me, and forces WhatsApp down my list of priorities along with SMS - which I haven't had notifications enabled for in many years, because in almost every case the messages are effectively an abuse of time and attention.

gregorymichael 8y ago
Greg from Twilio here. Totally understand your concern -- no one wants more spam. WhatsApp currently requires that brands using this API collect explicit opt-in from users prior to messaging them, and also that they also use pre-approved message templates to reach out to customers. Free-form messages can only be sent if the user replies back, and then only for 24 hours. Curious, why'd you stop using WhatsApp?
- zamalek 8y ago
  > Curious, why'd you stop using WhatsApp? I assume Facebook. I'm trying to get everyone I know off of it for that reason. Have you considered Signal or Telegram as additional integrations?
  - Calvin02 8y ago
    Telegram has security issues [0]. WhatsApp and Signal both use the Signal protocol [1]. [0] https://gizmodo.com/why-you-should-stop-using-telegram-right-now-1782557415 https://gizmodo.com/why-you-should-stop-using-telegram-right... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_Protocol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_Protocol
  - gregorymichael 8y ago
    Both of those are great channels (I personally use Signal), but we have nothing to announce.
    - elevation 8y ago
      I use twilio to send myself SMS notifications programmatically, such as when a multi-hour compilation completes, when DNS for a particular domain has propagated, or when my crawler detects that a new job had been posted to a local company's website. These notifications make my life easier, but my privacy isn't protected with SMS. I would much prefer to have these messages delivered over signal than over SMS. I hope twilio will also consider signal messenger integration in the future.
      - greenbush 8y ago
        I use Telegram for this. They have an easy API and my servers can send me unlimited messages for free.
  - bigiain 8y ago
    I share _wmd's concerns here. The _last_ thing I want is to be "contacted by brands" on Signal. And while I know I can manage _my_ experience with Signal, I don't want Signal to become a place where my friends avoid because it turns into a cesspit of "brand engagement" like so many other services... (Which sucks a bit for WhisperSystems since I'm not paying them, and I don't want them to take money off Pepsi/TMobile/McDonalds in return for "access to me" either...)
    - zamalek 8y ago
      Very good point. I haven't actually used WeChat, but so far as I know you have to explicitly opt-in by adding the brand as a contact. There are valid non-spam use-cases (e.g. Amazon order updates) and it would be an unobtrusive monetization strategy.
- _wmd 8y ago
  I think you maybe missed the idea in my original comment -- opening up the platform to business and marketing in any of its guises whatsoever causes the dilution.. as is so often repeated, tech can't solve social problems, and I really have no interest in allowing marketing to invade my social space. Any rules can/will be gamed, reinterpreted and twisted such that the end result is the always same -- I'm notified by a human-contact medium of a supposed human-contact that was actually a sales or marketing ping. I don't want that, nobody does. Re: leaving WhatsApp, I just decided I didn't need it. People can voice call if it's urgent, for everything else I'll see it eventually. There was no gap in my life needing filled by an instant-response chat app with instant-online-status and instant-typing-notifications, I just came to find it all generally annoying
  - StudentStuff 8y ago
    For some of my clients (Medical Practices & Plumbers) being able to send appointment reminders via text has been a huge improvement in their workflow. Their customers get timely information without interrupting their day, about the only thing missing is a secure delivery medium. We've explored Signal & Whatsapp integration, but I think we're still a few years off from anything taking off.
- bikamonki 8y ago
  > collect explicit opt-in Isn't this the biggest lie in the bulk messaging industry?
  - GFischer 8y ago
    Maybe for bad actors. I work for an U.S. company and we were explicitly required to get opt-in by the compliance officer. And it's messages users actually want to get (we have over 99.9% opt-in).
- sberder 8y ago
  That sounds extremely similar to wechat appart from the opt-in being managed in wechat itself. A lot of other limitations exist on wechat to limit brand creeps, limit number of push messages a day, pack brand accounts under a dedicated simili user fold and more. If you guys are curious about a platform with good private / branding integration as to brands creeping in your private circles .
- fipple 8y ago
  Small comfort. The bar for explicit opt in is very easy to dupe someone into. I know, it happened to me, and I’m a power user.

by _wmd 8y ago

gregorymichael 8y ago

Greg from Twilio here. Totally understand your concern -- no one wants more spam. WhatsApp currently requires that brands using this API collect explicit opt-in from users prior to messaging them, and also that they also use pre-approved message templates to reach out to customers. Free-form messages can only be sent if the user replies back, and then only for 24 hours. Curious, why'd you stop using WhatsApp?

zamalek 8y ago
> Curious, why'd you stop using WhatsApp? I assume Facebook. I'm trying to get everyone I know off of it for that reason. Have you considered Signal or Telegram as additional integrations?
- Calvin02 8y ago
  Telegram has security issues [0]. WhatsApp and Signal both use the Signal protocol [1]. [0] https://gizmodo.com/why-you-should-stop-using-telegram-right-now-1782557415 https://gizmodo.com/why-you-should-stop-using-telegram-right... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_Protocol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_Protocol
- gregorymichael 8y ago
  Both of those are great channels (I personally use Signal), but we have nothing to announce.
  - elevation 8y ago
    I use twilio to send myself SMS notifications programmatically, such as when a multi-hour compilation completes, when DNS for a particular domain has propagated, or when my crawler detects that a new job had been posted to a local company's website. These notifications make my life easier, but my privacy isn't protected with SMS. I would much prefer to have these messages delivered over signal than over SMS. I hope twilio will also consider signal messenger integration in the future.
    - greenbush 8y ago
      I use Telegram for this. They have an easy API and my servers can send me unlimited messages for free.
- bigiain 8y ago
  I share _wmd's concerns here. The _last_ thing I want is to be "contacted by brands" on Signal. And while I know I can manage _my_ experience with Signal, I don't want Signal to become a place where my friends avoid because it turns into a cesspit of "brand engagement" like so many other services... (Which sucks a bit for WhisperSystems since I'm not paying them, and I don't want them to take money off Pepsi/TMobile/McDonalds in return for "access to me" either...)
  - zamalek 8y ago
    Very good point. I haven't actually used WeChat, but so far as I know you have to explicitly opt-in by adding the brand as a contact. There are valid non-spam use-cases (e.g. Amazon order updates) and it would be an unobtrusive monetization strategy.
_wmd 8y ago
I think you maybe missed the idea in my original comment -- opening up the platform to business and marketing in any of its guises whatsoever causes the dilution.. as is so often repeated, tech can't solve social problems, and I really have no interest in allowing marketing to invade my social space. Any rules can/will be gamed, reinterpreted and twisted such that the end result is the always same -- I'm notified by a human-contact medium of a supposed human-contact that was actually a sales or marketing ping. I don't want that, nobody does. Re: leaving WhatsApp, I just decided I didn't need it. People can voice call if it's urgent, for everything else I'll see it eventually. There was no gap in my life needing filled by an instant-response chat app with instant-online-status and instant-typing-notifications, I just came to find it all generally annoying
- StudentStuff 8y ago
  For some of my clients (Medical Practices & Plumbers) being able to send appointment reminders via text has been a huge improvement in their workflow. Their customers get timely information without interrupting their day, about the only thing missing is a secure delivery medium. We've explored Signal & Whatsapp integration, but I think we're still a few years off from anything taking off.
bikamonki 8y ago
> collect explicit opt-in Isn't this the biggest lie in the bulk messaging industry?
- GFischer 8y ago
  Maybe for bad actors. I work for an U.S. company and we were explicitly required to get opt-in by the compliance officer. And it's messages users actually want to get (we have over 99.9% opt-in).
sberder 8y ago
That sounds extremely similar to wechat appart from the opt-in being managed in wechat itself. A lot of other limitations exist on wechat to limit brand creeps, limit number of push messages a day, pack brand accounts under a dedicated simili user fold and more. If you guys are curious about a platform with good private / branding integration as to brands creeping in your private circles .
fipple 8y ago
Small comfort. The bar for explicit opt in is very easy to dupe someone into. I know, it happened to me, and I’m a power user.