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Over here (in Belgium and The Netherlands at least) so many neighborhoods have signs promoting local WhatsApp groups, complete with the logo [0]. Often to 'prev

by smhg 6y ago

Over here (in Belgium and The Netherlands at least) so many neighborhoods have signs promoting local WhatsApp groups, complete with the logo [0]. Often to 'prevent crime'. Local municipalities install and pay for them. It is so awkward to see. [0] https://cdn.nieuws.nl/media/sites/305/2016/05/14195316/Borden-WhatsApp-Buurtpreventie-geplaatst-915x518.jpg https://cdn.nieuws.nl/media/sites/305/2016/05/14195316/Borde...

comfyinnernet 6y ago
Someone should paste Zuckerberg's face in the middle of the logo whenever they see one of those.
tsukurimashou 6y ago
I was a bit "shocked" by that when I moved to the Netherlands, everyone there uses it and the government seems to have a responsibility in that. Between the signs like you said and the possibility to contact town hall to take an appointment and other government related services via Whatsapp (I can certainly get why people use it, because it's much more convenient that having to make a phone call).
- jcul 6y ago
  In Ireland it's the same, everyone uses WhatsApp. If I share my number with someone, it would be much stranger for me to receive an SMS from them than a WhatsApp message. If I phone a tradesman, e.g. a plumber, and they ask for a picture of a job, the photo will be sent using whatsapp. It's ubiquitous and it's assumed that if you're have a phone you have WhatsApp. The only people I can think of that don't use it are my wife's grandparents, they use Facebook messenger for that purpose. Back when people were switching to signal a lot of people cited the fact that signal needed a phone number as a reason not to use it, instead recommending session, threema, matrix. But if signal didn't tie your account to your phone number there's no way I would have convinced any of my contacts to switch. Having to exchange username or user IDs wouldn't have cut it, with whatsapp the service is deeply associated with you phone number and that's what people want.
- wackget 6y ago
  The same has happened with Zoom in many countries.
Freak_NL 6y ago
At least the trend seems to have halted for now. These abhorrent signs are completely pointless as a crime prevention device (obviously). It's free advertising in two ways. One is for Facebook/WhatsApp (the use of these signs further normalizes WhatsApp and strengthens the brand), and the other is as a friendly gesture to criminals: here live people who can't afford fancy alarm systems and private security subscriptions, but can afford plenty of easily stolen devices and other loot.

by smhg 6y ago

comfyinnernet 6y ago

Someone should paste Zuckerberg's face in the middle of the logo whenever they see one of those.

tsukurimashou 6y ago

I was a bit "shocked" by that when I moved to the Netherlands, everyone there uses it and the government seems to have a responsibility in that. Between the signs like you said and the possibility to contact town hall to take an appointment and other government related services via Whatsapp (I can certainly get why people use it, because it's much more convenient that having to make a phone call).

jcul 6y ago
In Ireland it's the same, everyone uses WhatsApp. If I share my number with someone, it would be much stranger for me to receive an SMS from them than a WhatsApp message. If I phone a tradesman, e.g. a plumber, and they ask for a picture of a job, the photo will be sent using whatsapp. It's ubiquitous and it's assumed that if you're have a phone you have WhatsApp. The only people I can think of that don't use it are my wife's grandparents, they use Facebook messenger for that purpose. Back when people were switching to signal a lot of people cited the fact that signal needed a phone number as a reason not to use it, instead recommending session, threema, matrix. But if signal didn't tie your account to your phone number there's no way I would have convinced any of my contacts to switch. Having to exchange username or user IDs wouldn't have cut it, with whatsapp the service is deeply associated with you phone number and that's what people want.
wackget 6y ago
The same has happened with Zoom in many countries.

Freak_NL 6y ago

At least the trend seems to have halted for now. These abhorrent signs are completely pointless as a crime prevention device (obviously). It's free advertising in two ways. One is for Facebook/WhatsApp (the use of these signs further normalizes WhatsApp and strengthens the brand), and the other is as a friendly gesture to criminals: here live people who can't afford fancy alarm systems and private security subscriptions, but can afford plenty of easily stolen devices and other loot.