Why I'm Worried About the Future of WhatsApp
I've been using WhatsApp for a while now, and it's been my go-to messenger for staying in touch with loved ones and friends from around the world.
But what's got me worried is that they're trying to take away our means of communication with the people who matter most.
I recently installed MAX, and let me tell you, it's not the same. My husband said, 'We'll all be there sooner or later,' but I'm not sure I agree.
I used to communicate with a friend who moved to the US through a social media platform from the same company, Meta. But then they shut it down for Russian users, and I got tired of looking for workarounds, so I stopped talking to my friend.
Then, they blocked my ability to withdraw earnings from a stock photos platform where I made money from my hobby.
It's interesting that people are just tolerating this. Reminds me of the movie 'Bumer' about a guy who's always enduring.
The situation with WhatsApp is a bit like what happened with our cat food. We switched from Italian to Russian food, but Savita - the budgetary replacement of the famous Italian producer - was a disaster! One cat fell ill, the others refused to eat after the formula change.
What's interesting is that they eventually made an agreement with the Italians and the food was brought back to Russia.
Now, about the messenger that they also want to take away from us... who are we to consider the opinion of the people?! The opinion of 100 million users?!
I won't tell you how easy it is to set up WhatsApp because it's not relevant anymore...
I'll tell you about the features here and how convenient it was to communicate.
WhatsApp has a nice green icon:
You can also set your own photo in your profile, now better in a mask or balaclava:
This is the main page of your profile:
One thing that makes people want to ban WhatsApp is that it's a Meta project, and they're making a killing off it - literally a billion-dollar profit.
Registering for WhatsApp is pretty standard for messaging apps - you just use your phone number.
You can also create an avatar, which is pretty cool.
You can change your status at any time, but you have to - it's a requirement.
Then there are all the settings - it's pretty comprehensive.
One feature I really like is the option to hide your last seen time from others, but that also means I won't be able to see theirs.
You can also choose your language, but most people do that when they first install the app.
I've noticed that the photos uploaded here often look pretty low-res. It's probably a space-saving thing, but when you need to read tiny details, they just get lost.
It turns out you can change all these settings for uploads here:
But soon, if not already, WhatsApp will stop working for 100 million users, as mentioned above. And we'll all just be struggling with it deep down.
I really like how WhatsApp creates a backup and you can easily transfer all your data to a new phone. And I'm thinking, I've got a ton of important info, including various media. What if Roskomnadzor blocks access to WhatsApp in Russia? Will we lose all our data?
The message that's got me worried is that they might cut off all connections and send some virus to block the system in Russia.
I'm really concerned that I won't be able to send my grandma a video message anymore, since she only uses WhatsApp and it's hard for her to learn something new at her age. And the kids are worried too, that they won't be able to make a video greeting for their great-grandma on special occasions.
I used to record voice messages, call my grandma on this messenger, she was always happy to hear from her grandkids and great-grandkids, but now we're not able to make her happy and enjoy hearing from her.
Even videos and photos we send to our loved ones can take up to 2 days to arrive, and sometimes they don't arrive at all. I've heard that some users have had their accounts suspended. Not all of them, as far as I understand.
The chat rooms are slowly freezing up, messages aren't sending, and aren't arriving. The consumer protection agency is quietly cutting back on our ability to communicate with our loved ones in other cities and countries:
It's only a matter of time...the main thing is to save all the information.
It turns out that scams are also a problem with this messenger.
A film about scammers and ways to scam people:
The People Who Kill Our Grandmothers Without a Knife. My Grandma Gave Away All Her Money, a Friend Lost 2 Million. Anyone Can Fall Victim...
This film is also about scammers...and brutal revenge:
My Ears Were Not Prepared for That Amount of Cussing... A Story About Horrific Scamming of a Grandma, in a Very Large Scale... Jason Statham as Always, a Total Hottie! He Took Down All the Villains Like a Pro!
I was reminded of a book and film on this topic of restrictions and bans...
I'm still trying to wrap my head around how a state could let people's sex lives and parenting go completely unchecked. This novel, written 105 years ago and banned in the USSR, is like a mirror held up to our own reality. And with the Max messenger, I think we're seeing the same thing happen today.
I recently watched a film that completely blew me away - it's like nothing I've ever seen before. The title, 'Vernost' nравственность, otvaga vsegda odrezyayut verkh v etom mire inakomyslie karaetsya zak', translates to 'Fidelity, morality, and courage always triumph in this world, but nonconformity is punished by law'. It's a real masterpiece that you won't want to miss!
Thanks for reading, and I wish you all the best in this crazy world!