4 ms·

I've been in Brazil for the past five weeks. EVERYONE uses whatsapp, because SMS is expensive. And this all happened in the past couple of years or so, because

by graeme 12y ago

I've been in Brazil for the past five weeks. EVERYONE uses whatsapp, because SMS is expensive. And this all happened in the past couple of years or so, because that's when smartphones became widespread. I have never been asked my phone number. I've only been asked my "whatsapp". Make a good enough messaging app, and you can win an entire country. Or the world.

danieldk 12y ago
I have never been asked my phone number. I've only been asked my "whatsapp". But your "whatsapp" is your phone number.
- rogeryu 12y ago
  You don't understand. People don't associate that number with a phonecall, but with Whatsapp.
  - graeme 12y ago
    Exactly, people don't associate the number with phones. And in my case, my "whatsapp" is a Canadian phone number. I don't even know the number on my Brazilian phone.
- eyko 12y ago
  Not necessarily. My phone number when I go back home (if anyone wants to call me) is a different number from my whatsapp number (which is my UK number, where I live). When people want my Whatsapp number, I generally give them my UK number, but I don't expect an SMS or a phone call from them because I don't even use that SIM card back home. I have another local SIM card that I use, and I also give that out as my "phone number" in case, you know, somebody wants to call.
nnnnni 12y ago
Did they ever fix the massive security hole(s?) in whatsapp?
- coldtea 12y ago
  What massive security holes?
  - lxgr 12y ago
    For example, they store the message database on the shared mass storage partition (a.k.a. SD card), where it can be read by all installed applications.
    - coldtea 12y ago
      That shouldn't happen in a properly sandboxed OS.
  - xorcist 12y ago
    Wasn't it also true that the password for every account was a simple function of the phone number? Then they changed it, only to base in the IMEI instead. I didn't look at it again so I don't know if they fixed it for real in the end.
- sa1 12y ago
  Apparently they partnered with the TextSecure people https://whispersystems.org/blog/whatsapp/ https://whispersystems.org/blog/whatsapp/ to provide end-to-end encryption(Android non-group chat only for now). Apart from the fact that the client is still closed source and untrustable, they now seem to be in a better security situation than the other popular messaging apps.
BoppreH 12y ago
I'm from Brazil. You see small local businesses, with hand painted signs, where the phone number is followed by the whatsapp logo. Not even the name "whatsapp", just the logo. It's scary how they took over communications over here.
- JohnBooty 12y ago
  "Whatsapp: The Orkut Killer"
- fredguth 12y ago
  Yes. You are totally right. And the funny thing is that for many Brazilians who can't speak english WhatsApp became "ZapZap" (much easier for Portuguese speakers to say) or just "Zap".
matwood 12y ago
I have never used Whatsapp in the US. The sole purpose I have it on my phone is for communicating with AirBnb hosts when traveling abroad. It is amazing how Whatsapp rose everywhere but in the US.

by graeme 12y ago

danieldk 12y ago

I have never been asked my phone number. I've only been asked my "whatsapp". But your "whatsapp" is your phone number.

rogeryu 12y ago
You don't understand. People don't associate that number with a phonecall, but with Whatsapp.
- graeme 12y ago
  Exactly, people don't associate the number with phones. And in my case, my "whatsapp" is a Canadian phone number. I don't even know the number on my Brazilian phone.
eyko 12y ago
Not necessarily. My phone number when I go back home (if anyone wants to call me) is a different number from my whatsapp number (which is my UK number, where I live). When people want my Whatsapp number, I generally give them my UK number, but I don't expect an SMS or a phone call from them because I don't even use that SIM card back home. I have another local SIM card that I use, and I also give that out as my "phone number" in case, you know, somebody wants to call.

nnnnni 12y ago

Did they ever fix the massive security hole(s?) in whatsapp?

coldtea 12y ago
What massive security holes?
- lxgr 12y ago
  For example, they store the message database on the shared mass storage partition (a.k.a. SD card), where it can be read by all installed applications.
  - coldtea 12y ago
    That shouldn't happen in a properly sandboxed OS.
- xorcist 12y ago
  Wasn't it also true that the password for every account was a simple function of the phone number? Then they changed it, only to base in the IMEI instead. I didn't look at it again so I don't know if they fixed it for real in the end.
sa1 12y ago
Apparently they partnered with the TextSecure people https://whispersystems.org/blog/whatsapp/ https://whispersystems.org/blog/whatsapp/ to provide end-to-end encryption(Android non-group chat only for now). Apart from the fact that the client is still closed source and untrustable, they now seem to be in a better security situation than the other popular messaging apps.

BoppreH 12y ago

I'm from Brazil. You see small local businesses, with hand painted signs, where the phone number is followed by the whatsapp logo. Not even the name "whatsapp", just the logo. It's scary how they took over communications over here.

JohnBooty 12y ago
"Whatsapp: The Orkut Killer"
fredguth 12y ago
Yes. You are totally right. And the funny thing is that for many Brazilians who can't speak english WhatsApp became "ZapZap" (much easier for Portuguese speakers to say) or just "Zap".

matwood 12y ago

I have never used Whatsapp in the US. The sole purpose I have it on my phone is for communicating with AirBnb hosts when traveling abroad. It is amazing how Whatsapp rose everywhere but in the US.