7 ms·

Cool! Why does it require texting a phone number, though? Why not just put a form right there on the site?

Swizec 3y ago
Unlike us HackerNews weirdos, most people don’t really do websites on their phone all that much. They text a lot tho. The other day my mom said she can’t figure out ChatGPT because she made an account but there’s no icon on her desktop or phone and she doesn’t understand where it went.
- XCSme 3y ago
  Did you suggest installing the PWA? Or it doesn't have one?
- 13th_yc_acct 3y ago
  Seriously? I thought everybody used their phone for their primary web browser. Only time i really use a browser is at work (or very occasionally while at home -- why walk across the room when a large part of the internet is in my back pocket?)
  - Swizec 3y ago
    From what I’ve seen normies browse the internet, not the web. Partially because that’s what companies encourage. Links are for sharing only and even that is primarily for those annoying friends who aren’t on the app you’re using. My girlfriend for example can go hours without ever leaving instagram or tiktok. If the content isn’t natively in there, it doesn’t exist. And nobody ever clicks links I send them. Have had to start texting (iMessage) screenshots of articles and images or they just get ignored lol When I publish an article, most readers read it because it lands inside their email app. Short email with link? Nobody clicks that. Long email you can read without leaving gets way more engagement.
    - scarface_74 3y ago
      Even the quickest Google search would disprove your anecdotes
      - Swizec 3y ago
        Try it. Native content gets way higher engagement than a link out. Think about it this way: would you have read this comment if I posted it on my site and pasted a link in this textbook instead of typing it out? Would you really?
- 6510 3y ago
  Then you wanted to add the website icon to their iphone but it was intentionally made to complicated to remember how to do it. The onlookers make the computers are hard facial expression. You explain it was intentional. They think you are just not very good with computers.
- scarface_74 3y ago
  Two thirds of all web traffic is mobile. https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/mobile-internet-traffic https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/mobile-internet-traffic 85% of all adults in the US use smart phones https://www.zippia.com/advice/us-smartphone-industry-statistics/#:~:text=There%20are%20307%20million%20smartphone,of%20American%20adults%20use%20smartphones https://www.zippia.com/advice/us-smartphone-industry-statist....
  - Swizec 3y ago
    Yes I know. My point is that people don’t really “go to websites” as their primary mode of interacting with their mobile devices. Btw, your link uses internet and web interchangeably so it’s hard to say whether it agrees with me or not. My point was that people use the internet [way] more than the web.
dylanz 3y ago
I’m assuming it’s so once you have that number in your contacts, you can just text photos to that number anytime without having to go to a website.
- traviswingo 3y ago
  Yes this is correct. The simplicity of texting a photo is what I’m going for.
ezconnect 3y ago
They are trying to replicate WeChat or the other web based text services.
prepend 3y ago
Texting to a number makes it accessible from more devices. It’s surprising how there’s still places that don’t have web but can send sms.
- stavros 3y ago
  Texting a number makes it accessible from more devices out of 336 million, uploading a photo makes it accessible from fewer devices out of 7 billion.
  - prepend 3y ago
    7 billion people don’t have web access.
    - stavros 3y ago
      They don't need to. You only need 336 million of them.
- ericpauley 3y ago
  The flow still requires Internet access to complete the purchase, though. Also, even in the US, all the legacy networks are gone and SMS (especially MMS) is being routed over LTE++ anyway.
traviswingo 3y ago
Simplicity. People text photos to each other all the time, but don’t always use web apps or mobile apps. Text messages are baked into everyone’s phones already. No apps to download, or websites to visit and log into. It’s just there, and you know how to use it. Also, if I wanted to cover the entire user base, I’d have to make this my full time job. I think there are larger markets to focus on :). This is just fun.

Unlike us HackerNews weirdos, most people don’t really do websites on their phone all that much. They text a lot tho. The other day my mom said she can’t figure out ChatGPT because she made an account but there’s no icon on her desktop or phone and she doesn’t understand where it went.

XCSme 3y ago
Did you suggest installing the PWA? Or it doesn't have one?
13th_yc_acct 3y ago
Seriously? I thought everybody used their phone for their primary web browser. Only time i really use a browser is at work (or very occasionally while at home -- why walk across the room when a large part of the internet is in my back pocket?)
- Swizec 3y ago
  From what I’ve seen normies browse the internet, not the web. Partially because that’s what companies encourage. Links are for sharing only and even that is primarily for those annoying friends who aren’t on the app you’re using. My girlfriend for example can go hours without ever leaving instagram or tiktok. If the content isn’t natively in there, it doesn’t exist. And nobody ever clicks links I send them. Have had to start texting (iMessage) screenshots of articles and images or they just get ignored lol When I publish an article, most readers read it because it lands inside their email app. Short email with link? Nobody clicks that. Long email you can read without leaving gets way more engagement.
  - scarface_74 3y ago
    Even the quickest Google search would disprove your anecdotes
    - Swizec 3y ago
      Try it. Native content gets way higher engagement than a link out. Think about it this way: would you have read this comment if I posted it on my site and pasted a link in this textbook instead of typing it out? Would you really?
6510 3y ago
Then you wanted to add the website icon to their iphone but it was intentionally made to complicated to remember how to do it. The onlookers make the computers are hard facial expression. You explain it was intentional. They think you are just not very good with computers.
scarface_74 3y ago
Two thirds of all web traffic is mobile. https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/mobile-internet-traffic https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/mobile-internet-traffic 85% of all adults in the US use smart phones https://www.zippia.com/advice/us-smartphone-industry-statistics/#:~:text=There%20are%20307%20million%20smartphone,of%20American%20adults%20use%20smartphones https://www.zippia.com/advice/us-smartphone-industry-statist....
- Swizec 3y ago
  Yes I know. My point is that people don’t really “go to websites” as their primary mode of interacting with their mobile devices. Btw, your link uses internet and web interchangeably so it’s hard to say whether it agrees with me or not. My point was that people use the internet [way] more than the web.

dylanz 3y ago

I’m assuming it’s so once you have that number in your contacts, you can just text photos to that number anytime without having to go to a website.

traviswingo 3y ago
Yes this is correct. The simplicity of texting a photo is what I’m going for.

ezconnect 3y ago

They are trying to replicate WeChat or the other web based text services.

prepend 3y ago

Texting to a number makes it accessible from more devices. It’s surprising how there’s still places that don’t have web but can send sms.

stavros 3y ago
Texting a number makes it accessible from more devices out of 336 million, uploading a photo makes it accessible from fewer devices out of 7 billion.
- prepend 3y ago
  7 billion people don’t have web access.
  - stavros 3y ago
    They don't need to. You only need 336 million of them.
ericpauley 3y ago
The flow still requires Internet access to complete the purchase, though. Also, even in the US, all the legacy networks are gone and SMS (especially MMS) is being routed over LTE++ anyway.

traviswingo 3y ago

Simplicity. People text photos to each other all the time, but don’t always use web apps or mobile apps. Text messages are baked into everyone’s phones already. No apps to download, or websites to visit and log into. It’s just there, and you know how to use it. Also, if I wanted to cover the entire user base, I’d have to make this my full time job. I think there are larger markets to focus on :). This is just fun.