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I don't have Facebook, and all of these needs for connectivity are taken care of by WhatsApp group chats, essentially. It feels far more intimate and immediate

I don't have Facebook, and all of these needs for connectivity are taken care of by WhatsApp group chats, essentially. It feels far more intimate and immediate than Facebook ever did too.

zepto 7y ago
WhatsApp is Facebook
- ablation 7y ago
  Yes, I'm aware who owns WhatsApp. I was talking about the functionality aspect, I apologise if that wasn't clear enough in my initial post. I don't miss any functionality that Facebook offers because WhatsApp effectively does away with things I don't care about by providing me with highly curated groups of conversation and sharing, without the cruft. I am fully aware it's a part of the Facebook ecosystem.
acheron 7y ago
"I don't use Facebook, I use [thing that is also Facebook]" is not a hugely compelling argument. While "buy out your competitors" is not exactly a supergenius-level strategy, it is amazing how well it's worked out for FB.
- ablation 7y ago
  I was talking about the functionality aspect, I apologise if that wasn't clear enough in my initial post. I don't miss any functionality that Facebook offers because WhatsApp effectively does away with things I don't care about by providing me with highly curated groups of conversation and sharing, without the cruft. I am fully aware it's a part of the Facebook ecosystem.
marssaxman 7y ago
How does one discover such WhatsApp group chats? In my very limited experience, it is just like other messaging apps; I can't quite imagine how you would use it as a social network. Am I missing something?
- ablation 7y ago
  I don't discover new ones, unless I'm invited to one or I create one. All the people I know who I used to communicate with and share content on Facebook are on WhatsApp. If I'm interested in wider discussions with people I don't "know" in the traditional sense, there's forums, etc. Nothing I got from the Facebook experience I can't get anywhere else, I'm finding. Maybe I was using Facebook wrong, but I didn't add anyone on there as a friend that I didn't know offline.
- aerovistae 7y ago
  I use WhatsApp this way. It's not a matter of discovery-- it's a matter of creating a group with your existing friends and then keeping in touch with them day-to-day through sharing things in the group chat. It's identical to a facebook feed....except it's a tiny one with only the people YOU chose to include, and doesn't get polluted with any external content.
  - stallmanite 7y ago
    I do similarly with sms/iMessage. It’s actually a great way to keep in touch and seems more “real” than Facebook because it’s me directly and specifically communicating with my friends and the public “performative” aspect is absent.

I don't have Facebook, and all of these needs for connectivity are taken care of by WhatsApp group chats, essentially. It feels far more intimate and immediate than Facebook ever did too.

zepto 7y ago

WhatsApp is Facebook

ablation 7y ago
Yes, I'm aware who owns WhatsApp. I was talking about the functionality aspect, I apologise if that wasn't clear enough in my initial post. I don't miss any functionality that Facebook offers because WhatsApp effectively does away with things I don't care about by providing me with highly curated groups of conversation and sharing, without the cruft. I am fully aware it's a part of the Facebook ecosystem.

acheron 7y ago

"I don't use Facebook, I use [thing that is also Facebook]" is not a hugely compelling argument. While "buy out your competitors" is not exactly a supergenius-level strategy, it is amazing how well it's worked out for FB.

ablation 7y ago
I was talking about the functionality aspect, I apologise if that wasn't clear enough in my initial post. I don't miss any functionality that Facebook offers because WhatsApp effectively does away with things I don't care about by providing me with highly curated groups of conversation and sharing, without the cruft. I am fully aware it's a part of the Facebook ecosystem.

marssaxman 7y ago

How does one discover such WhatsApp group chats? In my very limited experience, it is just like other messaging apps; I can't quite imagine how you would use it as a social network. Am I missing something?

ablation 7y ago
I don't discover new ones, unless I'm invited to one or I create one. All the people I know who I used to communicate with and share content on Facebook are on WhatsApp. If I'm interested in wider discussions with people I don't "know" in the traditional sense, there's forums, etc. Nothing I got from the Facebook experience I can't get anywhere else, I'm finding. Maybe I was using Facebook wrong, but I didn't add anyone on there as a friend that I didn't know offline.
aerovistae 7y ago
I use WhatsApp this way. It's not a matter of discovery-- it's a matter of creating a group with your existing friends and then keeping in touch with them day-to-day through sharing things in the group chat. It's identical to a facebook feed....except it's a tiny one with only the people YOU chose to include, and doesn't get polluted with any external content.
- stallmanite 7y ago
  I do similarly with sms/iMessage. It’s actually a great way to keep in touch and seems more “real” than Facebook because it’s me directly and specifically communicating with my friends and the public “performative” aspect is absent.