this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2023
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The problem is everybody is using it and its impossible to move to signal etc
Dang, I'm feeling pretty lucky that no one in my life uses WhatsApp. Sounds like that's not the norm.
In europe literally everybody uses whatsapp you wont be able to do anything without it (docotrs, food delivery, literally every person like friends and familly, corona test results, company customer support, the list goes on)
That's grossly exaggerated. I live in western Europe and never once used WhatsApp. There are very occasional frictions, like people being surprised I don't have it. Then when I explain that it's operated by Facebook, they are also surprised and sometimes are willing to quit themselves.
I live in Europe and I don’t use WhatsApp. Never have. Hasn’t been a problem for me.
Friends and family, sure But in the UK nothing official is using WhatsApp. It's all SMS or email. In which countries do companies use WhatsApp for customer support?
It's not nearly as common in the US as it seems to be in many places in Europe.
Also all of South America. Everything from ordering pizza to scheduling a doctor's appointment. Not having WhatsApp means you are not able to participate in society
I realized that seemed to be the case as I read further down the thread after commenting.
It's definitely quite strange to most of us from the US.
I've never been to South America... Central America, but even that was a very long time ago... Before smartphones and apps.
There's a lot of little things like that, that are very different here and we just take for granted without thinking twice. I'm in Argentina and have noticed a ton of stuff like this.
A random example is there's a handle next to the stove where you close the gas line when it's not in use. They don't just have an always on supply of naturals gas ready to leak from the burner if you accidentally twist the knob.
Another one is the freezer will seal itself shut for about 15 seconds after being opened. I thought it was broken the first time I experienced this and tried forcing it open.
True that. I wouldn't use it, but most of my family only uses that so I need it to stay in touch.
EVERYONE in my backwater country of residence uses WhatsApp and they can't be bothered to use anything else.
When I say I don't have that service then they are stumped and can't think of a way to message me. Fucking morons.
Adults in Austria... Sigh.
Not only everybody, but companies, banks and goverment instances are using it too. Some apps that sends their OTP via WhatsApp. Some companies and instances only reachable.via whatsapp bot and whatnot.
Thats smth that i forgot, corona test results per whatsapp and a lot of companies also just have a whatsapp kontskt on their "kontakt us" page
I even deleted it for a year, but had to re-install it due to not being able to group chat
I used signal and SMS for people who weren't on signal
and even signal removed SMS support so now I use it to talk to 3 people on signal
For some "everyone" not talking to you is a perk.
The people I most care for use Discord. I worry I will lose constant with most of them if I stop using that too but I've never tried to get other to use something else.
I mean yeah, but i would have no contacts to anyone, here in germany we literally use nothing else, contact to teachers for assignments is lost, couldnt text with my family, would have no contact to my friends etc
But what if you messaged them via SMS, would they refuse to reply back?
Idky most people dont eaven have that on their contract i think
When I send sms to these folks, they don't even notice that they got a message. "Oh, you sent sms? I don't use that."
When I send sms to these folks, they don't even notice that they got a message. "Oh, you sent sms? I don't use that."
in my immediate family (brother and parents) we use signal, but everyone else in my life still uses whatsapp. sadly the zucc has a monopolyomn messaging in europe.