3 ms·

As a none American I point out that WhatsApp groups have functionally replaced old Facebook for a long time.

amr_shawky 5mo ago
I completely agree, my only issue with WhatsApp is that when I get a message, I need to read it immediately and its 50/50 whether its important or just a random link to something. For me at least, the reason Instagram messages work is I can ignore the notification because I know its definitely not important and just something funny to look at later.
- keane 5mo ago
  This is an issue. iMessage needs a way for a group thread to be set and labeled as low-priority collectively and preemptively (not just individuals muting the thread). My friends and I have silly group threads but they fizzle out fairly quickly because everyone is worried I think that they could be bothering people during the workday with a rather high-priority notification. Instagram is better, like you say, because we can absorb the links and gifs passively.
thaumasiotes 5mo ago
Features of Old Facebook: - It's a photo album. Anyone who can view your page can see your photos. - You can also post status updates. - It publishes a list of your friends. Anyone is free to check that out. - Your friends can write on your wall, where anyone can see what they wrote. - It publishes your biographical data: where you go (or went) to school, where you work, whether you're single, and if not what kind of relationship you're in. - You belong to a number of "groups". The groups don't organize activities or act as chat channels; their purpose is that your page displays a list of the names of the groups to which you belong, and that list is an expression of your personality and/or ideological commitments. Which of those do WhatsApp groups do?
- butler14 5mo ago
  All the bits that matter, I guess
  - thaumasiotes 5mo ago
    Which are...?
- Izkata 5mo ago
  "Groups" is New Facebook, the replacement for the Network pages. Used to be there was a whole section of the site meant for connecting with people at the same college/university as you, that you were automatically included in based on your email domain. It had a calendar and events and was geared towards real-world interaction.
  - thaumasiotes 5mo ago
    > "Groups" is New Facebook, the replacement for the Network pages. "Groups" is 2004. Their domain was still "thefacebook.com".
    - Izkata 5mo ago
      You're thinking of something else, Groups didn't exist until 2010 (though I thought it was a bit earlier, like 2008 - I thought they came out about the same time the Network pages went away, while I was still in college): https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/oct/07/facebook-groups https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/oct/07/facebook-... I do remember Friend Lists were much earlier though.
      - thaumasiotes 5mo ago
        > You're thinking of something else, Groups didn't exist until 2010 No, I'm not thinking of something else. You are assuming that when I say "groups", I'm thinking of the feature called "Facebook Groups" in your link, which is a stupid thing for you to assume. Here's a preserved screenshot of a 2005 page: https://www.shareaholic.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Facebook-2004.jpg https://www.shareaholic.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/... See the link in the left-hand sidebar saying "My Groups"?

I completely agree, my only issue with WhatsApp is that when I get a message, I need to read it immediately and its 50/50 whether its important or just a random link to something. For me at least, the reason Instagram messages work is I can ignore the notification because I know its definitely not important and just something funny to look at later.

keane 5mo ago
This is an issue. iMessage needs a way for a group thread to be set and labeled as low-priority collectively and preemptively (not just individuals muting the thread). My friends and I have silly group threads but they fizzle out fairly quickly because everyone is worried I think that they could be bothering people during the workday with a rather high-priority notification. Instagram is better, like you say, because we can absorb the links and gifs passively.

thaumasiotes 5mo ago

Features of Old Facebook: - It's a photo album. Anyone who can view your page can see your photos. - You can also post status updates. - It publishes a list of your friends. Anyone is free to check that out. - Your friends can write on your wall, where anyone can see what they wrote. - It publishes your biographical data: where you go (or went) to school, where you work, whether you're single, and if not what kind of relationship you're in. - You belong to a number of "groups". The groups don't organize activities or act as chat channels; their purpose is that your page displays a list of the names of the groups to which you belong, and that list is an expression of your personality and/or ideological commitments. Which of those do WhatsApp groups do?

butler14 5mo ago
All the bits that matter, I guess
- thaumasiotes 5mo ago
  Which are...?
Izkata 5mo ago
"Groups" is New Facebook, the replacement for the Network pages. Used to be there was a whole section of the site meant for connecting with people at the same college/university as you, that you were automatically included in based on your email domain. It had a calendar and events and was geared towards real-world interaction.
- thaumasiotes 5mo ago
  > "Groups" is New Facebook, the replacement for the Network pages. "Groups" is 2004. Their domain was still "thefacebook.com".
  - Izkata 5mo ago
    You're thinking of something else, Groups didn't exist until 2010 (though I thought it was a bit earlier, like 2008 - I thought they came out about the same time the Network pages went away, while I was still in college): https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/oct/07/facebook-groups https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/oct/07/facebook-... I do remember Friend Lists were much earlier though.
    - thaumasiotes 5mo ago
      > You're thinking of something else, Groups didn't exist until 2010 No, I'm not thinking of something else. You are assuming that when I say "groups", I'm thinking of the feature called "Facebook Groups" in your link, which is a stupid thing for you to assume. Here's a preserved screenshot of a 2005 page: https://www.shareaholic.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Facebook-2004.jpg https://www.shareaholic.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/... See the link in the left-hand sidebar saying "My Groups"?