Indonesia's trade minister runs his ministry on WhatsApp
techinasia.com
techinasia.com
I work at a big government organization. Every department has its whatts group.
I know a guy at my state government cabinet. He has several whatts groups (even one with the governor himself).
I know a gentleman which is a judge. He has a group with his partner judges and one with his staff.
My point is: if whatsapp usage is so pervasive at other countries as it is at Brazil, it will soon, by (physical) social network effect, dominate USA.
The alternatives:
* Facebook Messenger: too slow. Only one friend of mine uses it.
* Telegram: looks and feels like a whatts clone. Some people here seem passionate about inviting friends, but most people I talk about fail to see any advantage in using it. Some people hate it. As a plus, it will SPAM all your contacts when you sign up.
* Google Hangout: even I can't figure out what this is. Is this SMS or a messenger application. Now my phone has another application called Messenger (from Google). Confuse. No one I know use it.
* SMS: too expensive.
* Apple Message: only Apple users can use it. People prefer whatts because everyone is there.
* Zoiper: got traction, but whatts voice messages killed it.
I was annoyed to have to have to install an app when I moved here ("Why can't we just use e-mail lists?" I asked) but whatsapp was so established that nobody was interested in giving it up.
I use Whatsapp to connect with my brother-in-law in Costa Rica and his family and thats it.
Everyone else in the US I use group messages with. There are probly 6 or 7 group message groups I use on weekly basis and more I use less frequently.
There isnt really a reason to switch from group messages to whatsapp. Especially if all the participants have an iPhone it makes things easier. I have several Android friends as well and we use group messages together.
Further, on some carriers and especially between carriers, you can't rely on an SMS reaching its destination. For all its faults -- and they are legion -- Whatsapp is a real improvement in this regard.
Many have been slow to adapt ("premium" plans were sold based on SMS and voice minutes).
In the U.S., maybe some social groups all have an iPhone, but not in South America.
However, most everyone can have a phone with WhatsApp (even basic featurephones have it).
By using this logic, WeChat should also dominate USA - which is not happening. It's still interesting to me that WeChat is not more popular, considering its superior (for me) experience over WhatsApp.
One person has several social connections, at church, work, gym and so on.
Your contacts have their own contacts and so on.
At some point, this network crosses borders. Being a country with so many migrants, this happens real close to you at USA.
If a Brazilian living in USA wants to talk to his family or friends in Brazil, he must use the same channel everybody here uses (or he will felt excluded).
I don't know the numbers, but this can indeed happen with WeChat, but I think whatts is used in more countries.
It means it's dying after the MS acquisition.
I don't see anything lacking in it as a text messenger, and it works in PC, Web and smartphones.
Unless you need the thousands of emoticons that Messenger and Line provide.
Oh Boy. WhatsApp is very much the opposite of proper end-to-end encryption.
As a developer, i wish they have an API though. A native desktop app is on wish list too.
However, as a user, I'd hate it. I already receive too many spammy SMSs, if WhatsApp was an alternative, it would be dreadful.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia%E2%80%93Indonesia_sp...