re: Google Allo leaked

quote:

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but are we at the point that we can do without it? i know i can, but what about when i want to communicate with my mom who is tech illiterate and uses the stock texting app on her phone?

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I think Google is making it as easy as possible by showing the recipient a notification as if from an installed app, and which gives the option to install Allo. People learn things when they want to or have to. She learned Android and texting.



It just bugs me when people insist on SMS support in every messaging app. It's probably the same people who complain about their texts not being delivered or disappearing or whatever. Everyone looks at iMessage as the gold standard for integrating a chat app with SMS, but they overlook all the trouble it has caused. People not getting their texts when they switch to Android. Android users not getting messages when in groups with iPhone users. It's just a shitshow caused by trying to integrate SMS into things it wasn't meant for.

Everybody wants SMS because it's ubiquitous, but these days it's essentially useless. And it doesn't look like all the carriers are going to move to a new standard (RCS?) anytime soon, so people have to use apps. Then the new problem is vendor lockin/reliance. I'm not sure this new problem is worth it.