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Crazy that the CEO even tried to create an entire company based on something that they absolutely cannot control. Was this an acquisition play?

mwidell 3y ago
I used to think like this before I saw companies like Instagram and Tiktok thrive in the app store, which they absolutely cannot control. It is often worth a shot.
- wilsynet 3y ago
  Relying on the App Store to distribute your app is more than a little different than building an extension to iMessages. Apple and Google want you to use their app stores in this way. Apple does not want you to bridge iMessages to other platforms.
  - LeonB 3y ago
    True, but I think this sentence buries the key point: “Apple and Google want you to use their app stores in this way.” …they want you to use their app stores, their way, because they retain 100% control of what you can and cannot do.
- LeonB 3y ago
  Yep, agree++. It’s impossible to avoid relying on other people’s platforms. (Unless you want approximately zero customers, I guess) I wish these monopolistic corps didn’t have such an iron grip, but I’m not demanding creators single handedly remove every dependency on them. There is no ethical consumption (or production) in late stage capitalism.
maelito 3y ago
The entire company is not based on Beeper Mini.
rglullis 3y ago
Beeper is doing a lot more than just an iMessage proxy.
- slowbdotro 3y ago
  Technically it's not a proxy. As every device (apparently) connects directly to Apple's servers.
  - wffurr 3y ago
    Beeper Mini talks directly to Apple servers from your device. Beeper the company also has Beeper (Cloud) which bridges a whole lot of chat apps via Matrix to their other client app, including iMessage via a Mac relay.
corobo 3y ago
Beeper (not mini) is already a company - it's an app that aggregates the various other networks friends and family insist on using. WhatsApp, FB Messenger, Telegram, Instagram, etc. Been using it a while now, pretty good. This was a proof of concept to expand that app, it's not the entire company
- gnicholas 3y ago
  What's the pricing model? I would think that many people would not be potential customers because the vast majority of their networks are on a single platform (whatsapp or messages), or because they don't really care if messages live in 2 different places. I could imagine paying a one-time fee for something like this, but I assume the ongoing upkeep required would not work with such a model.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
- kevincox 3y ago
  I would agree if they hadn't completely redone their website to remove every reference to Beeper Cloud. They really made it look like a deprecated product, not a good alternative that won't get blocked.
  - corobo 3y ago
    Oh wow aye, admittedly I've had no reason to go to their main site recently (and in hindsight should have before responding). They really went all in on marketing this eh There's always a possibility of me being wrong! It does look like a bit of a pivot doesn't it.. Good point, well made. I think I'll go double check I can still log in to my chat apps directly just in case haha
    - LelouBil 3y ago
      I mean, even if they go all in with Beeper Mini, they plan on adding all the services supported in Beeper Cloud in it. Even without iMessages, a fully local application like this would be a great product. The fact that it relied on their servers put me off of using Beeper cloud
jejeyyy77 3y ago
this - basically a backdoor trick/hack

mwidell 3y ago

I used to think like this before I saw companies like Instagram and Tiktok thrive in the app store, which they absolutely cannot control. It is often worth a shot.

wilsynet 3y ago
Relying on the App Store to distribute your app is more than a little different than building an extension to iMessages. Apple and Google want you to use their app stores in this way. Apple does not want you to bridge iMessages to other platforms.
- LeonB 3y ago
  True, but I think this sentence buries the key point: “Apple and Google want you to use their app stores in this way.” …they want you to use their app stores, their way, because they retain 100% control of what you can and cannot do.
LeonB 3y ago
Yep, agree++. It’s impossible to avoid relying on other people’s platforms. (Unless you want approximately zero customers, I guess) I wish these monopolistic corps didn’t have such an iron grip, but I’m not demanding creators single handedly remove every dependency on them. There is no ethical consumption (or production) in late stage capitalism.

maelito 3y ago

The entire company is not based on Beeper Mini.

rglullis 3y ago

Beeper is doing a lot more than just an iMessage proxy.

slowbdotro 3y ago
Technically it's not a proxy. As every device (apparently) connects directly to Apple's servers.
- wffurr 3y ago
  Beeper Mini talks directly to Apple servers from your device. Beeper the company also has Beeper (Cloud) which bridges a whole lot of chat apps via Matrix to their other client app, including iMessage via a Mac relay.

corobo 3y ago

Beeper (not mini) is already a company - it's an app that aggregates the various other networks friends and family insist on using. WhatsApp, FB Messenger, Telegram, Instagram, etc. Been using it a while now, pretty good. This was a proof of concept to expand that app, it's not the entire company

gnicholas 3y ago
What's the pricing model? I would think that many people would not be potential customers because the vast majority of their networks are on a single platform (whatsapp or messages), or because they don't really care if messages live in 2 different places. I could imagine paying a one-time fee for something like this, but I assume the ongoing upkeep required would not work with such a model.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
kevincox 3y ago
I would agree if they hadn't completely redone their website to remove every reference to Beeper Cloud. They really made it look like a deprecated product, not a good alternative that won't get blocked.
- corobo 3y ago
  Oh wow aye, admittedly I've had no reason to go to their main site recently (and in hindsight should have before responding). They really went all in on marketing this eh There's always a possibility of me being wrong! It does look like a bit of a pivot doesn't it.. Good point, well made. I think I'll go double check I can still log in to my chat apps directly just in case haha
  - LelouBil 3y ago
    I mean, even if they go all in with Beeper Mini, they plan on adding all the services supported in Beeper Cloud in it. Even without iMessages, a fully local application like this would be a great product. The fact that it relied on their servers put me off of using Beeper cloud

jejeyyy77 3y ago

this - basically a backdoor trick/hack