3 ms·

Here in India, TikTok was massively popular in smaller towns and villages. The content was so different than Instagram. I really thought it was invaluable (Tik

Here in India, TikTok was massively popular in smaller towns and villages. The content was so different than Instagram. I really thought it was invaluable (TikTok is banned now). For us city dwelling upper middle class people, it gave a rare glimpse into the lives of people less privileged. And it wasn't maudlin or patronizing as a lot of narratives about the poor tend to be. Rather it was fun and authentic. I remember when the lockdown happened and a lot of migrant workers were left stranded, the news channels were filled with horror stories and heartbreaking videos of poor families walking hundreds of kilometres to their homes. But on TikTok, there were plenty of videos shot by the same migrant workers where they shared their woes, but would sometimes break into a dance or make fun of their situation.

ospider 6y ago
Interesting. In China, TikTok(Douyin) is actually more popular in big cities, and Kuaishou is more popular in smaller towns.
kpennell 6y ago
That's super fascinating. I also feel like tiktok is a little window into people's lives I wouldn't know otherwise (different social classes, etc.)
biztos 6y ago
Was there any reason to ban it other than “China?” Has anyone made an Indian TikTok clone, and if so has it got any traction? Seems like an obvious thing to do, if it was that popular.
- puranjay 6y ago
  There are a bunch of TikTok clones floating around and they've racked up some users. But I'm not sure if these clones would have the tech to serve the kind of recommendations TikTok did. Some, like "Mitron", are basically pre-made scripts bought online and rebadged [0]. They don't have the tech DNA to get recommendations right - which was one big reason for TikTok's success. [0]: https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/mitron-app-tiktok-indian-pakistani-app-tictic-2237511 https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/mitron-app-tiktok-indian-...
- dreamer7 6y ago
  Yes. It's called Chingari. Since the ban, downloads have been shooting up. It's now 2M+ or so downloads while being no where near as polished as TikTok UI
- callalex 6y ago
  Please read the article before commenting.
  - rovolo 6y ago
    https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html > Please don't comment on whether someone read an article. "Did you even read the article? It mentions that" can be shortened to "The article mentions that."

ospider 6y ago

Interesting. In China, TikTok(Douyin) is actually more popular in big cities, and Kuaishou is more popular in smaller towns.

kpennell 6y ago

That's super fascinating. I also feel like tiktok is a little window into people's lives I wouldn't know otherwise (different social classes, etc.)

biztos 6y ago

Was there any reason to ban it other than “China?” Has anyone made an Indian TikTok clone, and if so has it got any traction? Seems like an obvious thing to do, if it was that popular.

puranjay 6y ago
There are a bunch of TikTok clones floating around and they've racked up some users. But I'm not sure if these clones would have the tech to serve the kind of recommendations TikTok did. Some, like "Mitron", are basically pre-made scripts bought online and rebadged [0]. They don't have the tech DNA to get recommendations right - which was one big reason for TikTok's success. [0]: https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/mitron-app-tiktok-indian-pakistani-app-tictic-2237511 https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/mitron-app-tiktok-indian-...
dreamer7 6y ago
Yes. It's called Chingari. Since the ban, downloads have been shooting up. It's now 2M+ or so downloads while being no where near as polished as TikTok UI
callalex 6y ago
Please read the article before commenting.
- rovolo 6y ago
  https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html > Please don't comment on whether someone read an article. "Did you even read the article? It mentions that" can be shortened to "The article mentions that."