WhatsApp update

[RZehr]

So now WhatsApp has Channels that you can follow. Some churches are abandoning WhatsApp now. That is a step too far.

[NedFlanders]

When we have so many modes of communication it would seem appropriate to say having WhatsApp IS a step too far.

[Szdfan]

What's the objection to WhatsApp?

[Ken]

What were churches using WhatsApp for in the first place?

[Soloist]

What's the objection to WhatsApp?

Access to things that couldn’t easily be filtered or turned off. Such as Netflix’s or pornography.
That and it was steadily becoming more social like Facebook.

[Josh]

What were churches using WhatsApp for in the first place?

WhatsApp is the de-facto standard for text messaging in the third world, where many carriers would charge for SMS, but WhatsApp messages over data or Wi-Fi are free or just use up data usage. So in our church circles, WhatsApp usage first showed up to communicate with missionaries. That somehow "baptised" it and facilitated widespread adoption. Our church tried to promote using Telegram instead with a custom app that blocks objectionable content, but has been unsuccessful in actually getting people to switch.

It is now the de facto standard for messaging amongst plain people - specifically intermediate-conservatives and beyond. Some ultra-conservatives and Old Orders use CloudVeil Messenger instead.

[Josh]

What's the objection to WhatsApp?

It is, in effect, social media - encouraging people to post statuses, video updates, photos of themselves, and all the attendant problems that go along with that (like increased depression in young people).

[Ken]

What's the objection to WhatsApp?

It is, in effect, social media - encouraging people to post statuses, video updates, photos of themselves, and all the attendant problems that go along with that (like increased depression in young people).

It is social media. WhatsApp is owned by Facebook.

[Josh]

What's the objection to WhatsApp?

It is, in effect, social media - encouraging people to post statuses, video updates, photos of themselves, and all the attendant problems that go along with that (like increased depression in young people).

It is social media. WhatsApp is owned by Facebook.

Originally, it was a messaging platform, and that's all it was.

It is a good argument that Facebook will try to turn things it owns into social media - although something like Oculus isn't social media at all (although I don't think anyone has quite figured out exactly what it is yet.)

[Ken]

It is, in effect, social media - encouraging people to post statuses, video updates, photos of themselves, and all the attendant problems that go along with that (like increased depression in young people).

It is social media. WhatsApp is owned by Facebook.

Originally, it was a messaging platform, and that's all it was.

It is a good argument that Facebook will try to turn things it owns into social media - although something like Oculus isn't social media at all (although I don't think anyone has quite figured out exactly what it is yet.)

Which should surprise exactly no one at all.

If an application is free then you are the product being sold.

Do people expect that Meta is maintaining hundreds of millions of dollars of servers simply so missionaries can communicate for free in third world countries? To write the sentence is to realize how ridiculous the notion is.

Pay for cell service and use SMS or email. That is the alternative to free apps.