[HN Gopher] WhatsApp to let users message without their phones ___________________________________________________________________ WhatsApp to let users message without their phones Author : pseudolus Score : 10 points Date : 2021-07-15 20:26 UTC (2 hours ago) (HTM) web link (www.bbc.com) (TXT) w3m dump (www.bbc.com) | jackewiehose wrote: | I'm really pissed at Signal because they went the same route as | WhatsApp and tied the account to a phone number and it's not | possible to use it on more than one (android) device or just on a | PC (without phone). | | WhatsApp gave us the chance to convert a lot of people to a | facebook-free messenger because of their change of terms and we | did convert a lot of people. | | But meanwhile I have to agree with most people I know: the Signal | app is just shitty compared to WhatsApp (often crashes on | android, you can't set a custom notify sound, messages arriving | late, ...) and now it also lags behind this new feature. | suyash wrote: | Before you get mad, realize that Signal is a non profit, with | much less budget and much smaller number of employees working | at it than WhatsApp/FB. If you're so motivated, can even build | something for them in open source. | jackewiehose wrote: | Being "pissed" is about the phone number requirement which is | just a political decision and not about budget. | | > If you're so motivated, can even build something for them | in open source | | No, as far as I know they don't allow alternative clients (at | least on their servers). Of course that is their right but | IMHO still a dick move (again nothing to do with budget) and | we are stuck with the official client. Open source is nice | but with this limitation it has lost the biggest advantage. | nottorp wrote: | Yeah, pretty frustrating when whatsapp is the only messenger i | can't have open on both my phone and tablet. | | Incidentally, the only messenger I use that requires a phone | number is again, whatsapp. Because it has basically replaced SMS | here. | | Other than that, if they want me to sign up with my phone number, | I say no thank you and move on. Looking at you Signal, and other | "security/privacy conscious" messengers. | pbadenski wrote: | This is big! Can't wait until we have radios that can also show | images. | sonicggg wrote: | Lmao. And good thing we have BBC covering this technology | breakthrough. ___________________________________________________________________ (page generated 2021-07-15 23:02 UTC)