5 ms·
Perhaps true. But the original cool thing about Twitter was that you could tweet just by texting the twitter number from your dumb phone. The service literall
by ImprovedSilence 7y ago
Perhaps true. But the original cool thing about Twitter was that you could tweet just by texting the twitter number from your dumb phone. The service literally required your phone number, and made broadcast information happen in real-time before smartphones really were ubiquitous. Many messenger apps still use/link people through their numbers. While it is possible to not require numbers, and services like Facebook surely never needed it, there are times when providing phone numbers really reduces friction in communication.
- reaperducer 7y ago"Reducing friction" is not worth costing people their lives or freedom.
- nordsieck 7y ago> "Reducing friction" is not worth costing people their lives or freedom. I mean, if you're a dissident in a country with a violent government, maybe don't use the service that requires personal information? It seems a bit much to me to say no service ever should require people's phone numbers because somewhere, someone might make a bad decision and use the service when they shouldn't have.
- reaperducer 7y agoThat's like saying, "I mean, if you're a dissident in a country with a violent government, maybe don't use any service and keep your mouth shut because your freedom isn't as important as my VC money." Maybe SV should try to innovate more instead of reverting to "Wow, sucks to live where you do; hold my craft beer" so much these days. The internet was supposed to set people free. It's not working.