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Everyone I know here (UK) uses WhatsApp as their default communication tool. I have a few friends using Signal or Telegram, but I'd say WhatsApp is by and large

Everyone I know here (UK) uses WhatsApp as their default communication tool. I have a few friends using Signal or Telegram, but I'd say WhatsApp is by and large the default, at least for my social circle.

jupp0r 4y ago
It's relatively easy for people to switch, compared to other social networks.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- twelve40 4y ago
  What?? if all your contacts are on messenger X, it's easy for you to switch to messenger Y? and do what there, message yourself? It's exactly as hard as any other social network! P.S. I'm always shocked how people suggest "just use Signal" or something, it's really not up to me what to pick what to use at all, but up to the people I'm trying to connect with. It seems like a very difficult concept for the "just use Signal" crowd to grasp.
  - NoZebra120vClip 4y ago
    Well that's reciprocal, isn't it? You can either be the guy who accommodates all your friends' networks by having accounts everywhere, or you could instead be the guy who's only using Signal, so anyone who wants to stay in touch with you had better get on Signal!
  - hackernewds 4y ago
    Short answer: yes Switching costs are free.
Digit-Al 4y ago
Signal said they may have to pull out of the UK if the bill is enacted as well. This would be a major setback for communications here. We'd basically have to go back to SMS/MMS and email as far as I can tell. I don't know this is a fight the UK government can win. Does anyone else remember that the American government tried to ban encryption (back in the 90's I think it was)? They eventually had to give up because people just downloaded encryption products from the internet and used them anyway.
- jupp0r 4y ago
  What does it mean for Signal to "pull out" of the UK? How can the UK government enforce this law against an app whose makers have no physical presence inside the country? Force phone makers to ban the app from app stores?
  - OJFord 4y ago
    No +44 number sign-up, no listing in UK app stores.
    - wkat4242 4y ago
      Just take a foreign prepay number and sideload the app :) It won't really stop people.
      - OJFord 4y ago
        1) are you joking, that will stop 99. some number of 9s % of the population; 2) I'm not making any claims about it being desirable or effective, I'm just explaining what 'exiting the UK' means or what they'd be required to do. The crown won't sue a foreign company because a citizen found a way to workaround it not being available here - that would be like criticising the manufactuter of an illegally dangerous electrical item only rated for and sold in 110V markets that someone imported.
        wkat4242 4y ago
        People didn't use to be so stupid. If they could manage Word Perfect 5.1 they can surely sideload a little app :P I think it's more of a "don't want to know" than anything, in which case it's their own problem IMO.
  - jhasse 4y ago
    Not phone makers, but Google and Apple. You wouldn't find the app in their App Stores in the UK.
  - 4y ago

jupp0r 4y ago

It's relatively easy for people to switch, compared to other social networks.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
twelve40 4y ago
What?? if all your contacts are on messenger X, it's easy for you to switch to messenger Y? and do what there, message yourself? It's exactly as hard as any other social network! P.S. I'm always shocked how people suggest "just use Signal" or something, it's really not up to me what to pick what to use at all, but up to the people I'm trying to connect with. It seems like a very difficult concept for the "just use Signal" crowd to grasp.
- NoZebra120vClip 4y ago
  Well that's reciprocal, isn't it? You can either be the guy who accommodates all your friends' networks by having accounts everywhere, or you could instead be the guy who's only using Signal, so anyone who wants to stay in touch with you had better get on Signal!
- hackernewds 4y ago
  Short answer: yes Switching costs are free.

Digit-Al 4y ago

Signal said they may have to pull out of the UK if the bill is enacted as well. This would be a major setback for communications here. We'd basically have to go back to SMS/MMS and email as far as I can tell. I don't know this is a fight the UK government can win. Does anyone else remember that the American government tried to ban encryption (back in the 90's I think it was)? They eventually had to give up because people just downloaded encryption products from the internet and used them anyway.

jupp0r 4y ago
What does it mean for Signal to "pull out" of the UK? How can the UK government enforce this law against an app whose makers have no physical presence inside the country? Force phone makers to ban the app from app stores?
- OJFord 4y ago
  No +44 number sign-up, no listing in UK app stores.
  - wkat4242 4y ago
    Just take a foreign prepay number and sideload the app :) It won't really stop people.
    - OJFord 4y ago
      1) are you joking, that will stop 99. some number of 9s % of the population; 2) I'm not making any claims about it being desirable or effective, I'm just explaining what 'exiting the UK' means or what they'd be required to do. The crown won't sue a foreign company because a citizen found a way to workaround it not being available here - that would be like criticising the manufactuter of an illegally dangerous electrical item only rated for and sold in 110V markets that someone imported.
      - wkat4242 4y ago
        People didn't use to be so stupid. If they could manage Word Perfect 5.1 they can surely sideload a little app :P I think it's more of a "don't want to know" than anything, in which case it's their own problem IMO.
- jhasse 4y ago
  Not phone makers, but Google and Apple. You wouldn't find the app in their App Stores in the UK.
- 4y ago