But no - I mean because they use multiple apps. E.g. WhatsApp, or Facebook messenger, or Signal etc. Even the people I know who have iPhones tend to use these things. If I want to know what kind of phone someone uses, I generally have to ask.
The thesis seems to be that people are so unable to think for themselves that they are compelled to choose their device by means of colored bubbles.
If this is really true, then surely it’s the best argument one can possibly make for why the ecosystem needs to be locked down.
> You can still buy a different device, not take part in an existing system, and do whatever you want.
The point is you can't. Intense social pressure to interact with people who _do_ take part in the existing system means you have to partake in the existing system to interact.
My friends use Messenger so I need a facebook account, or my family uses WhatsApp so I need a non-rooted android phone.
No mainstream messaging apps support federation and many are hostile towards reverse engineering. WhatsApp for example will permaban accounts who do not use official clients in the name of "security."
You don't notice because you have already excluded anyone who chooses not to use a mainstream Android or iOS device. Or anyone you know who _would_ like to make that choice doesn't, cause they don't want to be that one friend who can't be reached as easily as the rest of the group.
Ok - so this is much more interesting than the more trivial green bubbles comment I originally replied to, which decidedly was not making this point.
It’s true that if you need to interact with people on most of these systems, you need an account. I have a Facebook account I use only for messenger, and I would prefer not to.
However, your argument has a few flaws.
1. I obviously haven’t excluded the people would would like to choose a non-mainstream device but who hasn’t.
2. You seem to assume that I won’t install apps so that I can communicate with people who don’t use the networks I’m already part of. That’s not a reasonable assumption. I have quite a few messaging apps installed, some of which I use with just one person.
The question this raises for me is - are there any federated messaging networks that do not have any clients available for mainstream platforms, but are in significant use?
But no - I mean because they use multiple apps. E.g. WhatsApp, or Facebook messenger, or Signal etc. Even the people I know who have iPhones tend to use these things. If I want to know what kind of phone someone uses, I generally have to ask.
The thesis seems to be that people are so unable to think for themselves that they are compelled to choose their device by means of colored bubbles.
If this is really true, then surely it’s the best argument one can possibly make for why the ecosystem needs to be locked down.