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> Being cut off from it makes it really annoying to deal with ordinary communications with friends, for business, etc. As someone who has never used WhatsApp,

> Being cut off from it makes it really annoying to deal with ordinary communications with friends, for business, etc. As someone who has never used WhatsApp, why is it annoying to communicate without it?

carlos_rpn 2y ago
I do not know where op is from, but here in Brazil, where whatsapp is huge, there's a huge expectation you'll be reacheable on whatsapp, both in and out of work.
- codingdave 2y ago
  That is definitely not universal - I've never used it, and it seems to be just for teenagers in my area. (Rural Midwestern USA)
  - carlosjobim 2y ago
    South America: Whatsapp Northern Europe: Facebook messenger United States: SMS/iMessage
    - meiraleal 2y ago
      which is quite fun. Does SMS/iMessage support groups, bots or any kind of automation? Americans stopped in the stone age.
      - BOOSTERHIDROGEN 2y ago
        That is why Discord is huge in US while the rest of the world telegram, fb, WhatsApp.
      - codingdave 2y ago
        > stopped in the stone age. And pleasantly so. I actually barely even text - I tell friends to send me an email, or even better just show up at my door and we'll hang out. I get that I'm an outlier, but I enjoy having my digital communications be for work, and my "real" life being offline.
      - dyingkneepad 2y ago
        My country only didn't settle for SMS because you still have to pay per message, where WhatsApp is free.
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
      - simfree 2y ago
        MMS is part of standard cellphone plans and supports group messaging. Most people can't tell when they are sending a SMS or MMS, it just works. That your carrier had such abusive SMS & MMS rates that it pushed people to Over The Top apps is concerning, and raises notable digital sovereignty and Telecom regulation questions about where your local telecom regulator failed.
        meiraleal 2y ago
        That's an interesting perspective. So Americans are stuck with a non-evolving protocol because telecom regulation worked well? I'm glad ours didn't.
    - simonebrunozzi 2y ago
      Southern Europe: WhatsApp
Spooky23 2y ago
WhatsApp is like iMessage outside the US. It’s also an effective way to communicate with Android users and avoid the blue/green bubble drama, and the inter-carrier SMS technical issues. (Many of the MVNOs are painful to deal with with group texts) I use it extensively for youth sports teams, as the most popular team management app in my region is hot garbage.
muzani 2y ago
It's the equivalent of email and SMS here, but worse. Appointments use WA. Deliveries are communicated through WA. Pretty much every physical social group uses it - residential communities, alumni groups, school groups, family, friends. I've been pushing people at work to just use Slack but they're more like "contact me on WA for emergencies".

carlos_rpn 2y ago

I do not know where op is from, but here in Brazil, where whatsapp is huge, there's a huge expectation you'll be reacheable on whatsapp, both in and out of work.

codingdave 2y ago
That is definitely not universal - I've never used it, and it seems to be just for teenagers in my area. (Rural Midwestern USA)
- carlosjobim 2y ago
  South America: Whatsapp Northern Europe: Facebook messenger United States: SMS/iMessage
  - meiraleal 2y ago
    which is quite fun. Does SMS/iMessage support groups, bots or any kind of automation? Americans stopped in the stone age.
    - BOOSTERHIDROGEN 2y ago
      That is why Discord is huge in US while the rest of the world telegram, fb, WhatsApp.
    - codingdave 2y ago
      > stopped in the stone age. And pleasantly so. I actually barely even text - I tell friends to send me an email, or even better just show up at my door and we'll hang out. I get that I'm an outlier, but I enjoy having my digital communications be for work, and my "real" life being offline.
    - dyingkneepad 2y ago
      My country only didn't settle for SMS because you still have to pay per message, where WhatsApp is free.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - simfree 2y ago
      MMS is part of standard cellphone plans and supports group messaging. Most people can't tell when they are sending a SMS or MMS, it just works. That your carrier had such abusive SMS & MMS rates that it pushed people to Over The Top apps is concerning, and raises notable digital sovereignty and Telecom regulation questions about where your local telecom regulator failed.
      - meiraleal 2y ago
        That's an interesting perspective. So Americans are stuck with a non-evolving protocol because telecom regulation worked well? I'm glad ours didn't.
  - simonebrunozzi 2y ago
    Southern Europe: WhatsApp

Spooky23 2y ago

WhatsApp is like iMessage outside the US. It’s also an effective way to communicate with Android users and avoid the blue/green bubble drama, and the inter-carrier SMS technical issues. (Many of the MVNOs are painful to deal with with group texts) I use it extensively for youth sports teams, as the most popular team management app in my region is hot garbage.

muzani 2y ago

It's the equivalent of email and SMS here, but worse. Appointments use WA. Deliveries are communicated through WA. Pretty much every physical social group uses it - residential communities, alumni groups, school groups, family, friends. I've been pushing people at work to just use Slack but they're more like "contact me on WA for emergencies".