rumour What

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

Whatsapp might get reliable servers lol. This will be a good move to sell, they apparently have issues updating and keeping the service stable.

[einsteinbqat]

An acquisition by Facebook would bug me.

Whatsapp may become free, but then chances are that we will get served advertisements, sponsored links, and all of this ****ty things. I do not wish that. I am fine with the current business model, something that Facebook still lacks, honestly.

I already try to keep my presence on Facebook to a minimum:

• I do not want Whatsapp messages and Facebook messages to somehow merge. Facebook is Facebook. My life in the real world with real interaction with people, that is mine. I do not need my conversation to end up on Facebook somehow.
  
• I do not want Whatsapp to stop encrypting and not storing messages. Facebook will process and store messages sent, and I do not need that. I use SMS/iMessage/Whatsapp for a reason. They are not Facebook. They are not data mining. They are not tracking me. And they are not serving me crap.
  

I hope that this will not come true, but, honestly, in the end, money will probably talk. Let us see how this goes, and whether or not it comes to fruition.

[Calum Veteran]

Business.

Of course. I'm just curious as to what he deems a problem with that :)

[n_K]

Of course. I'm just curious as to what he deems a problem with that :)

Sell it? Refuse to delete it (which they are legally obliged to do)? Use it for marketing? Add it to various databases?

Loads of things and I don't trust that company.

[Xerxes]

Android also pay an annual fee after the initial free period. I recently paid $2 for another year of use.

They actually charged you? I'm something like 2+ years into my free 1 year trial now, everytime it gets close to the expiry date it gets extended for some reason. I'm mean the subscription fee isn't that bad, I'll pay it but if they are going to keep extending my trial period who am I to argue? :p :laugh:

[Odom Member]

Hope to god they don't buy it. Don't need all my Facebook contacts to also show up in there.

[ichi]

Of course. I'm just curious as to what he deems a problem with that :)

Some people just don't want their phone number tied to their Facebook account. If you have been actively refusing to give Facebook your number it's not like you'll be that excited about them getting it anyway through the Whatsapp adquisition.

[Calum Veteran]

Some people just don't want their phone number tied to their Facebook account. If you have been actively refusing to give Facebook your number it's not like you'll be that excited about them getting it anyway through the Whatsapp adquisition.

I understand that. But I meant that I was curious as to the reasons why some people aren't comfortable with their number being tied to Facebook in that way. The poster answered my question, and I understand that it's down to his (perhaps unfounded) personal lack of trust for the company, which is what I expected.