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I think they did, just not in the way they expected. They've developed a messaging platform where finding the user you want to message is handled outside of som

I think they did, just not in the way they expected. They've developed a messaging platform where finding the user you want to message is handled outside of something as arbitrary and transitory as a phone number. For example, military members (in the US) rely heavily on FB Messenger because deployments, short tours, and overseas assignments kill the reliability of using a regular phone number to maintain contact with friends and family. Messenger handles that by connecting via Facebook and maintaining that connection regardless of the users' phone numbers or email addresses.

hnlmorg 4y ago
Thats the norm, not the exception. Back in the early days that was the only way these services operates: AOL IM, MSN Messenger, ICQ, IRC, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, Skype, MySpaceIM etc. Even now you have Discord, Slack, Steam Chat… and that’s before you start taking federated services like (Matrix and XMPP) or other social networks (like Twitter, Reddit, etc) into account. This shift to using mobile numbers is a recent change. And not one I’m particularly fond of either.
aeyes 4y ago
When your phone number changes, WhatsApp asks if you want to change your number. You don't have to accept this, it will work fine on your old number. It is risky if you lose the SIM card but it works, I continued using an old number for three or four years after changing numbers and I was never forced to prove that I still was the owner of the old number.
- RF_Savage 4y ago
  And when your old phone number gets re-used by the telco, some random person will start getting your messages. A friend was quite freaked out when multiple afgans started messaging him on whatsapp on their "new" phone number. Apparently it formely belonged to a member of the local afgan diaspora. Thankfully they ware able to get a new number from the telco to deal with it.
- justsomehnguy 4y ago
  This works until the current owner of the previous number installs WhatsApp.

hnlmorg 4y ago

Thats the norm, not the exception. Back in the early days that was the only way these services operates: AOL IM, MSN Messenger, ICQ, IRC, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, Skype, MySpaceIM etc. Even now you have Discord, Slack, Steam Chat… and that’s before you start taking federated services like (Matrix and XMPP) or other social networks (like Twitter, Reddit, etc) into account. This shift to using mobile numbers is a recent change. And not one I’m particularly fond of either.

aeyes 4y ago

When your phone number changes, WhatsApp asks if you want to change your number. You don't have to accept this, it will work fine on your old number. It is risky if you lose the SIM card but it works, I continued using an old number for three or four years after changing numbers and I was never forced to prove that I still was the owner of the old number.

RF_Savage 4y ago
And when your old phone number gets re-used by the telco, some random person will start getting your messages. A friend was quite freaked out when multiple afgans started messaging him on whatsapp on their "new" phone number. Apparently it formely belonged to a member of the local afgan diaspora. Thankfully they ware able to get a new number from the telco to deal with it.
justsomehnguy 4y ago
This works until the current owner of the previous number installs WhatsApp.