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Facebook Turns Messenger Into a Platform, Allows Third-Party iOS App Integration
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It's always good to remember:
With Facebook - you (and your personal details) are the product.
As is with pretty much any other free (and even some paid) online service (at least to one degree or another). Not much new or surprising or really scary there.
Well then it doesn't matter how many separate apps Facebook makes then, does it?
The hate was from people who used Facebook for messaging... but then were appalled when Facebook introduced a 2nd app for messaging.
Like I said... it doesn't bother me. If someone sends me a message on Facebook... I simply open the Messenger app and avoid all the other stuff.
Well then it doesn't matter how many separate apps Facebook makes then, does it?
The hate was from people who used Facebook for messaging... but then were appalled when Facebook introduced a 2nd app for messaging.
Like I said... it doesn't bother me. If someone sends me a message on Facebook... I simply open the Messenger app and avoid all the other stuff.
I find the whole FB UI, if you can even call it that an utter traffic accident. Its like the Anti-Apple UI.
I'm used to cataclysmic UI, been using computers since the 1970s, so it is not like I haven't seem my share of disastrous interfaces.
It's just rebranded Jabber run by ejabberd. Edit: This MR article is missing the most important part, which is why I said that. Actually, this is a really big deal, and I take it back. From The Verge:
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I see this as competition to Apple. Since facebook loves to sell ones private information and my former employer told me the consequences of being a facebook member, I never joined. Would love Apple to strip out facebook from iOS and the Mac OS.
Simply just don't sign into Facebook (especially if you don't even have an account)?
Nope, I refuse to open a 2nd Facebook app on my phone. As a matter of fact, I barely use Facebook at all on my phone anymore because it sucks.
Exactly! All you stupid complainers hate it just on the Principle of a separate app for messaging. There are lots of those! How many apps do you see integrate a full chat service as a small compliment to the real app? None. Or not too many.
As for the messenger app itself, it's actually one of the perfectly normal, enjoyable messengers out there, plus a ton of people use it as their only communication to others they know. It's fast, works, and has most/all of the features of a simple messenger app+more. Never crashes, not really anything bad I can say about it.
I don't get why anyone hates it. It's probably the best messaging system for people who can't use iMessage. Nearly everyone uses it, it works well, it's cross-platform, it has a really nice web interface and apps, and it uses the standard Jabber protocol. It supports Apple products better than Apple does (because it works even on the oldest Macs since it's Jabber). I much prefer it to SMS'ing my Android-using friend.
iMessage is actually really sucky in comparison. The only good thing is that you can send a message to a phone number and have it automatically use iMessage, and that's only because of Apple's control. It would have been much nicer to have the same system except with [phone number]@icloud.com Jabber accounts with S2S support.
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Wow, I am in the extreme minority in thinking that Messenger as a platform is a great idea. Now, I would much prefer if the feature is integrated into Apple's Messenger app, directly sending 3rd party app's contents to other recipients as I don't feel comfortable sharing so much information with Facebook. But this seems like a ext logical evolution to share extension.
A truly profound piece of information that makes a great contribution to the discussion.
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Quite likely that you aren't even close to an extreme or even a regular minority if not even a minority at all. More like an extreme minority that has some dislike for Facebook in general (mostly in some principled stance) is often present in online forums and often the more vocal group.
Oh my... so the rumours are true - there is someone else who sees through the over-hyped hate of the hive mind?
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Ask a Macrumors poster if iTunes is "bloated" and should be "split up" and you'll get so many Phillip Fry's thrusting money in your face you won't know what to do.
But actually do it with Facebook? Well then, you sir are a monster beyond reproach.
But actually do it with Facebook? Well then, you sir are a monster beyond reproach.
What if I want to message friends in Australia, Germany, or Guatemala and they don't have an iPhone / iMessage? I could send an international SMS as its free for me, but not for them, what then? I don't think they'd want to talk to me. Emails could work, but just not as convenient.
I personally use iMessage (with "send as SMS" disabled), WhatsApp, Viber, and Facebook Messenger. Between those 4 options, there's hardly anyone I've ever met who I cannot communicate, no matter which country they live in.
Not sure why there's so much hate towards Facebook Messenger. I have had zero problems with the app.
Funny, I said few years ago after FB split out the messaging component, that they wanted to create a standalone communication platform - that there was a clear separation between all other FB features and messaging, and it was like a response to Twitter, WhatsApp, G+, etc. Now here we are with Zuckerberg's ultimate strategy revealed and it makes even more sense - it's a powerful, extensible, OS agnostic platform, that's incorporating services that will even poke at products outside of the core messaging features (PayPal for example).
Umm maybe FB have around a billion users? Just think about that for a minute??
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I used it all the time when my minutes are low to talk voice with my friends and family. Macrumors brings out the best in people because its not an apple product. I use what fits my needs nomatter who makes the product or app.
