02-19-2014, 03:55 PM
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#1
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Sector 7-G
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Facebook to buy Whatsapp for $16-billion
Social networking company Facebook Inc. said it would buy mobile messaging company WhatsApp for about $16-billion in cash and stock.
Facebook said it would pay $4-billion in cash and about $12-billion in stock.
Crazy... I use WA, but if more people used BBM in my circle I'd totally switch. Good old SMS texting seems to still be #1.
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02-19-2014, 04:05 PM
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#2
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Calgary
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That's nuts. Hopefully they don't do a full forced integration of Whatsapp and facebook. I really don't like how for example Pulse is now owned by LinkedIn and I'm forced to use my LinkedIn account to log into Pulse now.
I'd like to keep the social networking parts separate from my actual phone contacts.
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02-19-2014, 04:07 PM
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#3
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The new goggles also do nothing.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
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Wow, crazy.. for an app I wouldn't have even built if I'd been sitting around before WhatsApp came out trying to think of an app to build and someone said "what about another instant messaging app?"
I guess that's why I'm working for pay and whoever started whatsapp can subscribe to the exotic-supercar-o-the-month club. 
Could be a good move though for Facebook.
__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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02-19-2014, 04:07 PM
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#4
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The new goggles also do nothing.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FlameOn
That's nuts. Hopefully they don't do a full forced integration of Whatsapp and facebook. I really don't like how for example Pulse is now owned by LinkedIn and I'm forced to use my LinkedIn account to log into Pulse now.
I'd like to keep the social networking parts separate from my actual phone contacts.
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Or at least allow people to have whatsapp accounts without having facebook accounts.
Don't hold out any great hope though.
__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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02-19-2014, 04:22 PM
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#5
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Lifetime Suspension
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: blow me
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This almost sounds like FB is trying to catch up to BBM, now that it's available across multiple platforms.
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02-19-2014, 05:57 PM
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#6
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Calgary
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02-19-2014, 06:04 PM
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#7
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Had an idea!
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I'd imagine they will control it the same way they control Instagram. There is some sort of integration, but by and large Instagram operates on its own, and has had more growth than Twitter has in the time period that Facebook has owned it.
Whatsapp is insane right now. Adding 30 million users per month, hundreds of million in revenue, 400 million plus users. And it just works. Very simple and straight forward, but it works.
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02-19-2014, 06:27 PM
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#8
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Had an idea!
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Apparently Facebook has said Whatsapp will continue operating in the exact same manner. Hopefully they update their Android app though. Pretty dated UI.
Whatsapp is actually crazy if you look at the numbers. They have never advertised or marketed their product, and they have 450 million users. And they only have 50 employees, so 1 employee per 14 million users. Pretty crazy.
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02-20-2014, 05:58 AM
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#9
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Has lived the dream!
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Where I lay my head is home...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by photon
Wow, crazy.. for an app I wouldn't have even built if I'd been sitting around before WhatsApp came out trying to think of an app to build and someone said "what about another instant messaging app?"
I guess that's why I'm working for pay and whoever started whatsapp can subscribe to the exotic-supercar-o-the-month club.
Could be a good move though for Facebook. |
Well I think the appeal of Whatsapp is that it's free worldwide, gets past the charges of some SMS. It's basically the same thing we've had forever on our computers, just now on our phones. Not a leap at all I agree, but it serves a purpose and brings things together neatly. I talk to people overseas with it all the time, costs us money to text in a lot of cases.
But yeah, I was looking up how much some of these rinky dink apps pull in, especially these free to play micro transactions games and wow! The secret to making money is not coding something brilliant or new or pushing the future. It's doing one stupid easy little thing well. Candy Crush made half a bill last year and is going IPO!
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02-20-2014, 06:17 AM
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#10
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Lifetime Suspension
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Azure
Whatsapp is insane right now. Adding 30 million users per month, hundreds of million in revenue, 400 million plus users. And it just works. Very simple and straight forward, but it works.
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And KIK is still better than it and BBM put together for iOS and Android platforms. It's amazing how inferior apps get more popular.
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02-20-2014, 07:46 AM
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#11
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Franchise Player
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Virginia
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Why would someone use this over something like Google hangouts?
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The Following User Says Thank You to nfotiu For This Useful Post:
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02-20-2014, 07:54 AM
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#12
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Franchise Player
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How did Candy Crush make $500M last year???
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02-20-2014, 08:06 AM
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#13
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First Line Centre
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Austin, Tx
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Funny that the creator of WhatsApp got denied a job at Twitter and Facebook before creating it.
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The Following User Says Thank You to FlamingLonghorn For This Useful Post:
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02-20-2014, 08:11 AM
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#14
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The new goggles also do nothing.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Calgary
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Quote:
Originally Posted by albertGQ
How did Candy Crush make $500M last year???
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Have you played Candy Crush? How could they not?
__________________
Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to photon For This Useful Post:
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02-20-2014, 08:14 AM
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#15
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Salmon with Arms
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nfotiu
Why would someone use this over something like Google hangouts?
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Picture/video sharing and the ability to see if the person is seeing the message
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02-20-2014, 08:29 AM
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#16
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Franchise Player
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Supporting Urban Sprawl
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nfotiu
Why would someone use this over something like Google hangouts?
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You know why? Inertia.
If you want to chat with 5 friends, one of which who refuses to use Google Hangouts, you kind of are forced to use it.
The fact that I have to use my phone to chat with these guys infuriates me, since everyone else I talk with I can use my PC through Hangouts or MightyText.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist
Picture/video sharing and the ability to see if the person is seeing the message
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You can do all those things with hangouts. You can also do them on a PC at the same time, or with the same account.
You know how annoying it is to send a file/link to yourself in email just to copy and paste it into WhatsApp? I would gladly have a PC client or browser plugin be a premium feature, and pay a few bucks a year extra for it.
__________________
"Wake up, Luigi! The only time plumbers sleep on the job is when we're working by the hour."
Last edited by Rathji; 02-20-2014 at 08:37 AM.
Reason: spelling if for smrt kids
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02-20-2014, 09:00 AM
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#17
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Franchise Player
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Virginia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rathji
You know why? Inertia.
If you want to chat with 5 friends, one of which who refuses to use Google Hangouts, you kind of are forced to use it.
The fact that I have to use my phone to chat with these guys infuriates me, since everyone else I talk with I can use my PC through Hangouts or MightyText.
You can do all those things with hangouts. You can also do them on a PC at the same time, or with the same account.
You know how annoying it is to send a file/link to yourself in email just to copy and paste it into WhatsApp? I would gladly have a PC client or browser plugin be a premium feature, and pay a few bucks a year extra for it.
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Do both people need whatsapp to communicate?
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02-20-2014, 09:01 AM
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#18
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First Line Centre
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Cap Hell
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I find BBM much better. Ability to download HQ pics, BBM voice, Glympse, Channels. It's miles ahead of whatsapp.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3
All I saw was Godzilla. |
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02-20-2014, 09:50 AM
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#19
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Franchise Player
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I'd never even heard of it before today.
Does this mean I'm getting old?
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02-20-2014, 09:52 AM
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#20
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 Posted the 6 millionth post! |
$8 million in startup costs. $19 billion sale price.
There is no ??? second step to profit. One of the few times I think we can say that!
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