26 votes

Topic deleted by author

18 comments

  1. [2]
    spctrvl
    Link
    This right after announcing they're discontinuing hangouts for consumers, you've got to be kidding me. How many times does google need to re-invent something as basic as instant messaging?

    This right after announcing they're discontinuing hangouts for consumers, you've got to be kidding me. How many times does google need to re-invent something as basic as instant messaging?

    14 votes
    1. alessa
      Link Parent
      I had been looking forward to Allo coming to desktop, too.

      I had been looking forward to Allo coming to desktop, too.

      3 votes
  2. [10]
    jackson
    Link
    I just want a multi-platform chat app that's simple for everyone involved. I have many friends who aren't as tech-savvy as me, and a lot of the alternatives are just too much to deal with to text....

    I just want a multi-platform chat app that's simple for everyone involved. I have many friends who aren't as tech-savvy as me, and a lot of the alternatives are just too much to deal with to text.

    I try to avoid SMS/MMS whenever possible. I'm in old buildings with little to no coverage most of the day, and sending attachments is a nightmare.

    I really like iMessage, but it's only available on iOS. We all know Apple won't add RCS to iOS since that'll just shove out iMessage.

    I won't use Facebook's stuff, so no messenger or WhatsApp. GroupMe's okay for groups.

    And, of course, Google is shutting down Allo and Hangouts for consumers.

    Any suggestions? Preferably without ads and free, since those are the two biggest barriers to entry.

    6 votes
    1. spctrvl
      Link Parent
      Riot! Riot's a client for Matrix, which is an open standard that's trying to do for instant messaging what the email standards did for email. Best of all, it's federated with the option of self...

      Riot! Riot's a client for Matrix, which is an open standard that's trying to do for instant messaging what the email standards did for email. Best of all, it's federated with the option of self hosting, so you don't have to worry about capricious corporations pulling the plug.

      11 votes
    2. [2]
      Valis
      Link Parent
      I'm with you. I am the only android user in a family of iPhone users and it is no fun. Every video anybody sends me is compressed and destroyed because they all send it via MMS. I have tried to...

      I'm with you. I am the only android user in a family of iPhone users and it is no fun. Every video anybody sends me is compressed and destroyed because they all send it via MMS. I have tried to tell them why it does this but iMessage has made things too easy for them they refuse to get a new app so they can send one person a video. I understand but it's no fun and I wish there was a better solution

      5 votes
      1. kfwyre
        Link Parent
        I'm right there with you. iMessage is great if you're inside the system, but if you're on Android all those "Liked", "Loved", and "Emphasized" messages get old real fast. I would love to be able...

        I'm right there with you. iMessage is great if you're inside the system, but if you're on Android all those "Liked", "Loved", and "Emphasized" messages get old real fast.

        I would love to be able to move over to something better, but ultimately I have to use what my contacts use. And nobody I know is clamoring to replace SMS or iMessage.

        2 votes
    3. Crestwave
      Link Parent
      Signal, Riot and Wire are all free and open sourced.

      Signal, Riot and Wire are all free and open sourced.

      4 votes
    4. [2]
      json
      Link Parent
      I wish for something like xmpp.

      I wish for something like xmpp.

      2 votes
      1. edenist
        Link Parent
        why not xmpp then? [someone who hosts their own XMPP server and uses it for chat with family and friends, and anyone else who is also on an XMPP server...]

        why not xmpp then?

        [someone who hosts their own XMPP server and uses it for chat with family and friends, and anyone else who is also on an XMPP server...]

        7 votes
    5. [2]
      piedpiper
      Link Parent
      I like Telegram. It's fast, secure and simple. It works on all operating systems and has a desktop client (even for linux). It doesn't do video chat, which would be a nice to have, but not a...

      I like Telegram. It's fast, secure and simple. It works on all operating systems and has a desktop client (even for linux). It doesn't do video chat, which would be a nice to have, but not a critical feature for me.

      2 votes
      1. p2004a
        Link Parent
        I will pass https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/49782/is-telegram-secure Currently my preference is Signal which is extremely simple and offers real security. I will probably switch to...

        I will pass https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/49782/is-telegram-secure
        Currently my preference is Signal which is extremely simple and offers real security. I will probably switch to matrix.org in the future.

        1 vote
    6. TheSaltShaker
      Link Parent
      I love signal. Supports attachments of all kinds, end to end encryption, FOSS, the list goes on. I love it, and it also supports audio/video calls.

      I love signal. Supports attachments of all kinds, end to end encryption, FOSS, the list goes on. I love it, and it also supports audio/video calls.

      2 votes
  3. clone1
    Link
    God damn it i had finally convinced one person to try it. Story of google social products right there.

    God damn it i had finally convinced one person to try it. Story of google social products right there.

    4 votes
  4. [4]
    guywithhair
    Link
    I don't understand Google's decisions. For a company with so much influence, capital, and information, I don't understand how make a new messaging app every year or so. It may be rose-colored...

    I don't understand Google's decisions. For a company with so much influence, capital, and information, I don't understand how make a new messaging app every year or so. It may be rose-colored glasses, but it seems like they were more in touch with consumers 5-10 years ago. I would honestly love to know what their business strategy is at this point beyond gaining ad revenue, because it just feels like they've become too bloated. Something about Google's current state just screams either incompetence, shady practices (e.g. search engine for China), or both.

    By now, I see no point in trying to pick up any of google's social apps because they'll probably just kill it 18 months later regardless of how well it does, just so they can make some new version with an even shittier name.

    3 votes
    1. Kraetos
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Nerds with no taste trying to make products where their core competencies aren't relevant. Google will never make the best product in a space where clever algorithms can't give them an edge....

      For a company with so much influence, capital, and information, I don't understand how make a new messaging app every year or so.

      Nerds with no taste trying to make products where their core competencies aren't relevant. Google will never make the best product in a space where clever algorithms can't give them an edge.

      Sending encrypted text strings between parties is a trivial problem from a technical standpoint. There's no problem for Google to solve here. They have no way to stand out from the crowd.

      Same reason Amazon is never gonna make a good phone and Apple is never gonna make a good ad service. The products that a company produces are an expression of that companies taste and culture. Money doesn't actually have that much to do with it.

      7 votes
    2. [2]
      Valis
      Link Parent
      I don't think it's rose-colored glasses. I remember back just a few years ago when I did 90% of communication using the built-in chat on gmail. It worked great for both business and education. I...

      I don't think it's rose-colored glasses. I remember back just a few years ago when I did 90% of communication using the built-in chat on gmail. It worked great for both business and education. I saw my contacts, saw who was on, could easily add/delete people, and could go invisible easily and hide from that guy who was always on. No clunky system, not overly creepy privacy-wise, non-invasive. It was great. Then they messed it up with 'hangouts' which is just a mess. Nobody uses it, it doesn't have any of my contact info I want and has all of the info I don't want. Google is one of the most popular web-based email systems for businesses, universities, and the general population, but they are painfully bad at less formal communication.

      3 votes
      1. guywithhair
        Link Parent
        Thanks for the thoughtful response. I would agree with that for sure. The universities I've attended use gmail, and I use it for personal communication as well. I think their main strength is that...

        Thanks for the thoughtful response. I would agree with that for sure. The universities I've attended use gmail, and I use it for personal communication as well. I think their main strength is that they have a lot of basic services (drive, docs, youtube, maps, etc.) really well integrated. It's hard to compete with a service where all of those services are tied to one convenient account.

        The thought that always recurs for me is to what extent is the data I put onto those services private. Are my files on Drive, my emails on gmail, etc. used to continue building a profile on me? To an extent, that's the price of a free service, but I would like to know (or maybe I wouldn't...) the level of privacy they actually give.

        2 votes
  5. FrankGrimes
    Link
    They might have more luck with these apps taking off if they didn't give them the obscure names. Duo? Allo? I have no idea what those might do.

    They might have more luck with these apps taking off if they didn't give them the obscure names. Duo? Allo? I have no idea what those might do.

    3 votes