The Many Masks of Social Media. Whatsapp goes down.

[New Perspective studio]

Whatsapp went down for a few hours and the many people were so angry. I could not believe the amount of articles I saw on it today. It makes me think we have as a population become somewhat conscious of dependency on social media websites. ( platforms ). Facebook has seen a ton of scrutiny for "making us addicts". I wonder if something like whatsapp doesn't fall in that same class. Even google my business has handles now like twitter. a App where you can communicate/chat with your clients recommend other businesses, favourite businesses, likes, reviews and share your experience via uploading media onto a gmb page as a client.

Gmb and whatapp ( whatapp business ) are startingdown the same road facebook did by making business personal ( which is great ) but as we've seen with facebook ( what they do down the line in terms of expanding and our data ) I wonder if they too wont be susceptible to that same "forbidden fruit".

[Xplosiv]

I'm glad to say I didn't notice WhatsApp was down.

[New Perspective studio]

I'm glad to say I didn't notice WhatsApp was down.

I was on-board with you. I used to use social media and after a few years I dropped it. However in the business that I am in and many others social media has become just as important as having a website. If it weren't for that I wouldn't have known either.

[AlexisRoberson]

I use WhatsApp GB version but never had such a case

[adrianh]

My family relies very heavily on Whatsapp. My wife is in the UK, my brother in Namibia and my sister in Australia. I keep tabs on my daughters in Cape Town using Whatsapp as well.

When my daughter rolled her car she called me via Whatsapp from the roadside. When my brother got robbed in his house 3 days ago he called me via Whatsapp.

When anything happens in our neighborhood we communicate as a group with armed response in real time. A guy had a fit a couple of days ago and the lady put out a call for help on the Whatsapp group - the neighbors went to go help, the armed response went and they also contacted an ambulance.

When a vagrant enters the area and he makes trouble he gets his picture taken and published on the group so that all the residents can be on the lookout.

Don't try to downplay the importance of practically FREE INSTANTANEOUS communication. I can take a video of a break in in real time and get help in real time.

Social Media might be K@K but Whatsapp has saved our @sses many many times!

I would call the bank in South Africa via my cellphone and get my daughter to call my wife in the UK via Whatsapp. I would sit with the two phones facing one another so that my wife can speak to Capitec - She can't get through to Capitec from the UK directly most of the time.

I am not pro Whatsapp (I am pro instantaneous audio and video communication) If Whatapp turns to crap then we will all switch to Telegram.

[ians]

IF you are not paying for the service you are the product ... it is that simple ... just because the providers promises not to use you as the product ... it doesnt stop them from selling all your info to other services.

[New Perspective studio]

Whatsapp will do exactly what Facebook has done except try and avoid the mistakes they made on Facebook and do it better, they already have online stores integrated onto the platform, they tried to launch it in brazil but were met with opinions from the government regarding taxes.


They tried to force new policies on users which met strong push back so they just forced it onto Facebook advertisers, it's all about getting more data. Whatsapp is Facebook and Facebook doesn't give a ... we know that much so it will be the same thing here except a different face.

Then will come the ads it will be the WeChat of the west. Where you do everything via WhatsApp and so everything about you is known even if you avoid Google and Facebook.

Google never got any proper foothold on the sm platforms - G+ was probably its only real try - but yes GMB is their answer for now it seems.

Im not pro WhatsApp im not really that much against data issues, to be honest. Although I get why people are, my main thing here is the monopolies of the internet. It only leads to fewer jobs, smaller free markets, less proper freedom of speech ironically, we can be fed how the world looks according to our data points, and yes less privacy.

People are more aware now, I don't think enough yet to jump ship to say Telegram when it goes down that way, but these companies are also aware of that.

These tools are as Elon Musk said, they make us superhuman as we can reach anywhere, get any info. There is a price though.

It's a shame there wasn't more regulation.

[Blurock]

WhatsApp is an irritation to me as everyone and his dog wants to send RFQ's and orders via WhatsApp.
People are too lazy to send an email with the necessary documentation attached i.e. specs of the product that they want or a proper order document.

Without the correct specifications it is easy to quote on the wrong product due to the multiple combinations of attachments or assemblies. Not receiving a proper order and responding on it has multiple risks and potential miscommunication.

As far as I am concerned this is for private messaging and should not be used for business purposes of procurement etc. Call me old fashioned if you want to.

[ians]

Blurock you are old fashion ... most of my communication 80% with supplier and customers is via whattsapp ... in fact I am considering moving to a new supplier because my current supplier will not allow counter sales to receive my whattsapp orders ... I have request that they allow someone in the company to receive my order ... otherwise I will be moving on.

I dont have time for crap like emails while on site ... in fact one of my biggest wasted time issues is the dealing with wholesalers ... to a point that I am considering starting a 60 minute site deliver ... like checkers.

[New Perspective studio]

I dont think so about it. I think WhatsApp has a great future after new update.

It will yes, we won't. Look at the damage Facebook has caused society, it CANNOT even be measured.

Whatsapp will be even greater, I will get Flak for this, il also say I told you so in few years but.... it's online communism.

[adrianh]

Whatsapp will be even greater, I will get Flak for this, il also say I told you so in few years but.... it's online communism.

Wha ha ha hahahahaha - This made my day coming from a Tech Website / Design company THAT HAS A CHAT WITH US VIA WHATSAPP ON THEIR SITE!!!!!!!!

I think I cracked a rib laughing at this lot!

Thanks man... I really had a good laugh.

On a serious note:

Communism definition

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism

LoL - So what is Facebook, Instagram, Google and all the other big player scumbags?

This is what they are:

How Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft wage a domestic War on Terror, and make billions

https://www.rt.com/op-ed/534939-big-tech-911-profit/

[Blurock]

Blurock you are old fashion ... most of my communication 80% with supplier and customers is via whattsapp ... in fact I am considering moving to a new supplier because my current supplier will not allow counter sales to receive my whattsapp orders ... I have request that they allow someone in the company to receive my order ... otherwise I will be moving on.

I dont have time for crap like emails while on site ... in fact one of my biggest wasted time issues is the dealing with wholesalers ... to a point that I am considering starting a 60 minute site deliver ... like checkers.

I agree I may be behind the times, but I just hate all the apps and doing business on my phone. Can you imagine the frustration of communicating via WhatsApp if you do not even know who you are talking to? Unknown number not in your address book asking for stuff that he doesn't even have the faintest idea of? When a complete stranger without a name sends a WhatsApp request he gets moved to the back of the queue as mostly it is a guy just "fishing" and not interested in real business. I killed the alert as it is distracting and an intrusion in my work day.

At least if a guy has a decent business he will have a signature at the bottom of his email with his business name and tel number so that I can see who I am dealing with. It is so easy to plan for tomorrow or the week ahead so that you can get your supplies in time. Last minute "emergency" orders always create problems as stock may not be available or some unforeseen obstacle may pop up. As all orders are fed into a computer, capturing is so much easier if sent by email.

The worst is voicemail. Impersonal and most of the times inaudible. I try to build personal relationships with my clients and customers as my business rely on their support. Therefore I like to talk to them to get feedback as well.

[ians]

Download whattsapp app to your computer ... go to settings ... link device scan the code and you bingo ... you can communicate using the computer.

[ians]

Another free tip ... go to waste centre and buy a roll of 50 mmm velcro ... R20 per meter.

Cut piece 50 mm long ... stick the soft side to the back of the phone or whatever ... and the hook side to the anywhere you want to store your phone or what ever ... in a cupboard when you charging ... on the wall in your office ... I put it under the light switch in my workshop ... otherwise my phone disappears into the piles of crap on the work benches ... even on the dash of your car ( I would be careful that the heat doesnt make the glue soft and come off ... put somewhere it can drop into a cubby or something.

The 50 mm velcro sticks like shyte ... I am yet to have something fall of the the wall because of bad adhesive ... it pulls the paint off the wall if you try remove it.

[ians]

I do the same with remotes