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Of all the big tech companies Facebook is the only one where it can completely disappear overnight and my life would be completely unaffected (or possibly impro

Of all the big tech companies Facebook is the only one where it can completely disappear overnight and my life would be completely unaffected (or possibly improved by not having to explain to people I don't use facebook, please email or text me your invitations rather than use messenger). If Google, Amazon, Netflix, Apple disappeared the story would be completely different.

gpvos 5y ago
Facebook is the only one of those that I regularly use. I'd like something like Google's Android to stay around. The rest I don't need.
apexalpha 5y ago
Weird, because over here WhatsApp is ingrained into the social fabric of your life. Couldn't imagine ever going back to texting/iMessage.
- dmd 5y ago
  WhatsApp, like the metric system, is a “literally everywhere but the US” thing. I’ve never once seen it used in the US.
- Wowfunhappy 5y ago
  But your friend groups would probably be able to migrate to Signal/Discord/Hangouts/etc quite quickly if WhatsApp were to disappear, no? WhatsApp has the network effect on its side by way of existing, but that could change quickly if given a push.
  - Broken_Hippo 5y ago
    Sure. But you might not get everyone back - you'd have to have an alternate method of talking to the folks to get them to switch and meet up in the same place. You'd have this if the service just slowly died (like landlines), but not if something breaks instantly - forever. I'm guessing we've all had this when games died (especially old text-based MMORPG's, for example. So many people gone).
    - phpnode 5y ago
      At least with WhatsApp you do have the contact's phone number, so you can reach them via SMS if necessary.
      - Broken_Hippo 5y ago
        Do you have to open WhatsApp and connect to the servers to access the number? (Honest question here, I've never used it)
        Wowfunhappy 5y ago
        You have to open the app, but you can see phone numbers in airplane mode.
- erid 5y ago
  People would just use an alternative, like Telegram or whatever is the next most popular one.
  - j4hdufd8 5y ago
    Having trouble doing calls on Telegram now - I guess because of the shift in load to Telegram
- bduerst 5y ago
  Small and medium businesses would suffer as well, since many use WhatsApp as a sales channel now.
- aldanor 5y ago
  After using Telegram, WhatsApp is a complete piece of garbage, if it disappeared from the face of the earth it would be sure for the best as people would move on to alternative messengers.
  - mixedCase 5y ago
    Does Telegram have E2E messages by default, and using a sensible encryption protocol? If not, I disagree.
    - aldanor 5y ago
      IIRC, e2e by default for audio/video; for text chats, can be enabled by marking chat as 'secret'. Is it true E2E? Probably not (i.e. Telegram has keys that can be turned over to any government, noone argues with that) Does WhatsApp have a true E2E either? Ask hundreds of moderators employed by Facebook who review WhatsApp messages flagged as improper and the chat history around them... However, accepting the fact that neither of the services is truly secure, Telegram experience as a service is much better for an average user.
      - mixedCase 5y ago
        > for text chats, can be enabled by marking chat as 'secret'. Is it true E2E? Probably not (i.e. Telegram has keys that can be turned over to any government, noone argues with that) That was my problem, and your confirmation means it's still as good as nothing. > Does WhatsApp have a true E2E either? Ask hundreds of moderators employed by Facebook who review WhatsApp messages flagged as improper and the chat history around them... If one of the ends decides to share a message, it's still E2E. That is the big difference.
        aldanor 5y ago
        > If one of the ends decides to share a message, it's still E2E. That is the big difference. True. But you can't prove that "one of the ends" must necessarily be a human and not the logic in the app code, or an intended backdoor? E.g., an automated logic scanning for 'malicious' messages on-device.
- AlexandrB 5y ago
  I still remember the era when the "in" messenger changed every 2-3 years: ICQ -> AIM -> MSN Messenger -> Google Chat, etc. Changing messaging apps not the most convenient thing in the world, but it's not some kind of IT cataclysm. Plenty of WhatsApp competitors exist.
pacija 5y ago
All of the big tech companies you mentioned could completely disappear overnight and my life would be completely unaffected or possibly improved.
- Carlettosan007 5y ago
  si es muy posible, de otro lado se daría la oportunidad a empresas mas cercanas con la gente y que les paguen por los usuarios por los datos. finalmente los usuarios son su activo para generar muy importantes ingresos, estaría muy bien que compartan sus beneficios!
- Carlettosan007 5y ago
  si es muy posible, de otro lado se daría la oportunidad a empresas mas cercanas con la gente y que les paguen por los usuarios por los datos.
standardUser 5y ago
Facebook is an unparalleled titan in the realm of advertising and WhatsApp is basically a utility-level communication system for a big chunk of the globe. Instagram is a key cultural driver of the Western world. You many not feel any direct firsthand consequences, but the overall impact would transform the world around you.
- TomSwirly 5y ago
  > Facebook is an unparalleled titan in the realm of advertising Not unparalleled - Google exists. And we need less advertising, not more. > and WhatsApp is basically a utility-level communication system for a big chunk of the globe. Many other such systems exist - Telegram, Signal, Google Chat. > Instagram is a key cultural driver of the Western world Western culture will get along just fine without Instagram. > the overall impact would transform the world around you. For the better.
- drcongo 5y ago
  Yeah, but would there be any drawbacks?
  - standardUser 5y ago
    There would be a massive opening for new platforms to take over, and the odds that they are also based in the West would be much lower.
    - hkai 5y ago
      What's the advantage of using a Chinese platform instead of Facebook in terms of privacy, freedom of speech or political influence?
  - cdelsolar 5y ago
    yes. I want to see what my friends and acquaintances are up to.
    - 5y ago
pmontra 5y ago
Maybe Google, because of the search engine. Android: somebody will fill the void. Messaging: people have been switching on hordes to every new free messaging system in the 90s and early 2000s, we will adapt to something else. Netflix and video in general: same thing without the 90s/early 2000s. Amazon: very convenient store, we'll spend a little less and somebody will fill the void. Apple: can't say, never bought anything from them. By the way, when I couldn't message on WA today I thought day they finally cut me off because I still didn't accept their new privacy policy from months ago :-) I resolved to wait and see for a couple of days.
- ChefboyOG 5y ago
  I dunno. If AWS went away suddenly, or if Google Search/the G-Suite suddenly stopped existing, the internet as we know it would need some time to recover.
- johannes1234321 5y ago
  > Messaging: people have been switching on hordes to every new free messaging system in the 90s and early 2000s, we will adapt to something else. Back then the IM population was a lot smaller. Also with "Free Basics" and other things in some regions of the world Facebook plays a game which makes it impossible to switch. (Using Whatsapp is free, for others one ahs to buy mobile data credits)
bluecalm 5y ago
Man, out of those only Netflix going down wouldn't cause a gigantic billions of dollars worth clusterfuck to people, businesses and companies. It's nice you don't use them but about everyone around does and mostly for at least some important things.
perryizgr8 5y ago
With Facebook, whatsapp and Instagram down, it feels like the entire internet is down for me.
akudha 5y ago
I am surprised you have Netflix on the list. It would be annoying for 2 minutes, then you can simply go for a walk or read a book.
- speedgoose 5y ago
  Or watch movies and shows using one of the many alternatives to Netflix.
infinite_beam 5y ago
disappearance of FB might not impact you, but India runs on WhatsApp.

gpvos 5y ago

Facebook is the only one of those that I regularly use. I'd like something like Google's Android to stay around. The rest I don't need.

apexalpha 5y ago

Weird, because over here WhatsApp is ingrained into the social fabric of your life. Couldn't imagine ever going back to texting/iMessage.

dmd 5y ago
WhatsApp, like the metric system, is a “literally everywhere but the US” thing. I’ve never once seen it used in the US.
Wowfunhappy 5y ago
But your friend groups would probably be able to migrate to Signal/Discord/Hangouts/etc quite quickly if WhatsApp were to disappear, no? WhatsApp has the network effect on its side by way of existing, but that could change quickly if given a push.
- Broken_Hippo 5y ago
  Sure. But you might not get everyone back - you'd have to have an alternate method of talking to the folks to get them to switch and meet up in the same place. You'd have this if the service just slowly died (like landlines), but not if something breaks instantly - forever. I'm guessing we've all had this when games died (especially old text-based MMORPG's, for example. So many people gone).
  - phpnode 5y ago
    At least with WhatsApp you do have the contact's phone number, so you can reach them via SMS if necessary.
    - Broken_Hippo 5y ago
      Do you have to open WhatsApp and connect to the servers to access the number? (Honest question here, I've never used it)
      - Wowfunhappy 5y ago
        You have to open the app, but you can see phone numbers in airplane mode.
erid 5y ago
People would just use an alternative, like Telegram or whatever is the next most popular one.
- j4hdufd8 5y ago
  Having trouble doing calls on Telegram now - I guess because of the shift in load to Telegram
bduerst 5y ago
Small and medium businesses would suffer as well, since many use WhatsApp as a sales channel now.
aldanor 5y ago
After using Telegram, WhatsApp is a complete piece of garbage, if it disappeared from the face of the earth it would be sure for the best as people would move on to alternative messengers.
- mixedCase 5y ago
  Does Telegram have E2E messages by default, and using a sensible encryption protocol? If not, I disagree.
  - aldanor 5y ago
    IIRC, e2e by default for audio/video; for text chats, can be enabled by marking chat as 'secret'. Is it true E2E? Probably not (i.e. Telegram has keys that can be turned over to any government, noone argues with that) Does WhatsApp have a true E2E either? Ask hundreds of moderators employed by Facebook who review WhatsApp messages flagged as improper and the chat history around them... However, accepting the fact that neither of the services is truly secure, Telegram experience as a service is much better for an average user.
    - mixedCase 5y ago
      > for text chats, can be enabled by marking chat as 'secret'. Is it true E2E? Probably not (i.e. Telegram has keys that can be turned over to any government, noone argues with that) That was my problem, and your confirmation means it's still as good as nothing. > Does WhatsApp have a true E2E either? Ask hundreds of moderators employed by Facebook who review WhatsApp messages flagged as improper and the chat history around them... If one of the ends decides to share a message, it's still E2E. That is the big difference.
      - aldanor 5y ago
        > If one of the ends decides to share a message, it's still E2E. That is the big difference. True. But you can't prove that "one of the ends" must necessarily be a human and not the logic in the app code, or an intended backdoor? E.g., an automated logic scanning for 'malicious' messages on-device.
AlexandrB 5y ago
I still remember the era when the "in" messenger changed every 2-3 years: ICQ -> AIM -> MSN Messenger -> Google Chat, etc. Changing messaging apps not the most convenient thing in the world, but it's not some kind of IT cataclysm. Plenty of WhatsApp competitors exist.

pacija 5y ago

All of the big tech companies you mentioned could completely disappear overnight and my life would be completely unaffected or possibly improved.

Carlettosan007 5y ago
si es muy posible, de otro lado se daría la oportunidad a empresas mas cercanas con la gente y que les paguen por los usuarios por los datos. finalmente los usuarios son su activo para generar muy importantes ingresos, estaría muy bien que compartan sus beneficios!
Carlettosan007 5y ago
si es muy posible, de otro lado se daría la oportunidad a empresas mas cercanas con la gente y que les paguen por los usuarios por los datos.

standardUser 5y ago

Facebook is an unparalleled titan in the realm of advertising and WhatsApp is basically a utility-level communication system for a big chunk of the globe. Instagram is a key cultural driver of the Western world. You many not feel any direct firsthand consequences, but the overall impact would transform the world around you.

TomSwirly 5y ago
> Facebook is an unparalleled titan in the realm of advertising Not unparalleled - Google exists. And we need less advertising, not more. > and WhatsApp is basically a utility-level communication system for a big chunk of the globe. Many other such systems exist - Telegram, Signal, Google Chat. > Instagram is a key cultural driver of the Western world Western culture will get along just fine without Instagram. > the overall impact would transform the world around you. For the better.
drcongo 5y ago
Yeah, but would there be any drawbacks?
- standardUser 5y ago
  There would be a massive opening for new platforms to take over, and the odds that they are also based in the West would be much lower.
  - hkai 5y ago
    What's the advantage of using a Chinese platform instead of Facebook in terms of privacy, freedom of speech or political influence?
- cdelsolar 5y ago
  yes. I want to see what my friends and acquaintances are up to.
  - 5y ago

pmontra 5y ago

Maybe Google, because of the search engine. Android: somebody will fill the void. Messaging: people have been switching on hordes to every new free messaging system in the 90s and early 2000s, we will adapt to something else. Netflix and video in general: same thing without the 90s/early 2000s. Amazon: very convenient store, we'll spend a little less and somebody will fill the void. Apple: can't say, never bought anything from them. By the way, when I couldn't message on WA today I thought day they finally cut me off because I still didn't accept their new privacy policy from months ago :-) I resolved to wait and see for a couple of days.

ChefboyOG 5y ago
I dunno. If AWS went away suddenly, or if Google Search/the G-Suite suddenly stopped existing, the internet as we know it would need some time to recover.
johannes1234321 5y ago
> Messaging: people have been switching on hordes to every new free messaging system in the 90s and early 2000s, we will adapt to something else. Back then the IM population was a lot smaller. Also with "Free Basics" and other things in some regions of the world Facebook plays a game which makes it impossible to switch. (Using Whatsapp is free, for others one ahs to buy mobile data credits)

bluecalm 5y ago

Man, out of those only Netflix going down wouldn't cause a gigantic billions of dollars worth clusterfuck to people, businesses and companies. It's nice you don't use them but about everyone around does and mostly for at least some important things.

perryizgr8 5y ago

With Facebook, whatsapp and Instagram down, it feels like the entire internet is down for me.

akudha 5y ago

I am surprised you have Netflix on the list. It would be annoying for 2 minutes, then you can simply go for a walk or read a book.

speedgoose 5y ago
Or watch movies and shows using one of the many alternatives to Netflix.

infinite_beam 5y ago

disappearance of FB might not impact you, but India runs on WhatsApp.