back to article Facebook is leaky, creepy, and trashy. Now it wants to host some of your customer data

Facebook wants to host some of your customer data, an offer that hurts its own partner community. The antisocial giant says it will host data generated by WhatsApp, specifically when used alongside the messaging service’s Business API. That interface lets businesses manage messages to and from customers, and to integrate e- …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Oh Grandma

    What big [Data Scraping] Eyes you have !

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Devil

      Re: Oh Grandma

      I think Zuck got tired of Bezos having all the fun.

  2. jake Silver badge

    Am I the only one still sane?

    "That interface lets businesses manage messages to and from customers"

    Me, I use a telephone. It's faster, and gets the message across far more clearly than most people can either type, or comprehend, the written word.

    1. RM Myers
      Unhappy

      Re: Am I the only one still sane?

      I've noticed a real uptick in businesses (and politicians) using text messages instead of phone calls recently, including phishing attempts. This is supposedly due to people not answering phone calls from numbers they don't recognize. And yes, I am one of those people.

      1. MachDiamond Silver badge

        Re: Am I the only one still sane?

        "I've noticed a real uptick in businesses (and politicians) using text messages instead of phone calls recently"

        If you can get to the right person at the telco, you can have text disabled on your line. When I had it, it was a huge time waster. I can't be doing anything else while texting and people don't return complete and correct answers very often. If there are more than a couple of questions in a text, they will only answer the first one or two. A 20 minute text exchange can be replaced with a 1 to 2 minute voice call. I am mainly doing field service so, with a headset on, I can talk to people while I'm driving or working at another job site. I'm not losing customers by not having text. I ask that they email me when sending addresses and other information that I'll need. Email protocols are far more robust and there are more tools for managing interactions.

    2. SundogUK Silver badge

      Re: Am I the only one still sane?

      I can comprehend the written word significantly faster than anyone can speak and be comprehended.

      1. Richard Jones 1

        Re: Am I the only one still sane?

        I agree, I possibly miss some 'news' because it is a video segment and I rapidly pass on by to the next written account. My typing is lousy, (arthritis?), but I still send and receive messages as needed. The written word hangs about until it is processed or deleted, spoken claptrap passes on by, to the sewers of a bygone age where it may meet up with Facebook's antisocial detritus.

      2. BigSLitleP

        Re: Am I the only one still sane?

        Nope. You'll be missing nuances in the message, tone of voice, and many other things that make voice superior to text every single time.

        1. Sgt_Oddball

          Re: Am I the only one still sane?

          Which just reminds me of the old saying.

          "How can you tell if a politician is lying?

          Their lips are moving"

          1. RM Myers
            Facepalm

            Re: Am I the only one still sane?

            Well, social media has definitely made that saying obsolete. With Twitter, et.al., they can more easily lie without moving their lips. Welcome to progress, 21st century style.

        2. iron Silver badge
          Thumb Down

          Re: Am I the only one still sane?

          So voice is superior for "Your food delivery from restaurant X is on its way" style messages?

          I think not.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Am I the only one still sane?

            If my phone was smart enough to detect a pause in any conversation that was going on, moderated its volume to the ambient noise levels, informed me once that the delivery was on its way, and left a silent notification on screen in case I missed it (or didn't if I verbally acknowledged the message), then yes.

          2. MachDiamond Silver badge

            Re: Am I the only one still sane?

            "

            So voice is superior for "Your food delivery from restaurant X is on its way" style messages?

            I think not."

            First, don't you want to get out of the house and can pick up your own food yourself? Sheesh.

            Second, If I have ordered in, I expect that it will be delivered in the time frame I'm given when I place the order. I don't need a text that tells me it's on the way. (I never order for delivery anyway and do my own cooking the vast majority of the time).

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Am I the only one still sane?

              You've clearly never ordered overtime food for a team of hungry developers.

              So, firstly... no, nobody is going to go out and pick up food for 40 people. Doubly so when the person ordering probably has better things to be doing.

              And secondly... it's nice to be able to tell people their dinner is on the way.

              And thirdly... why are you voicing your opinion on a subject you admit to knowing nothing about?

      3. Richocet

        Re: Am I the only one still sane?

        But can you write faster than you can speak? Most people can't, and that's why text and email is usually inefficient.

    3. Disk0

      Re: Am I the only one still sane?

      no, insisting on oral synchronous communication for matters that can be settled in writing without any of the hassle is insane.

  3. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

    Facebook hosting my data?

    That is as likely as Trump becoming the next Pope.

    Is there no depths that Zuck and cronies will stoop too in order to get their hands on our data?

    Don't be an ass. Of course there isn't. Zuck is nothing more than the worst sort of trailertrash.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Facebook

    Just say no

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    As soon as the first ad arrives in my WhatsApp inbox, my WhatsApp account gets closed. I suspect many other users may react the same way as there are several alternatives to WhatsApp available not that are not owned by FB, though currently with fewer users. This could change however.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      So what if a messaging service charged an optional subscription fee instead (with feature benefits for those who pay)? Would you pay that, or do you, like most people, expect to get everything for free these days?

  6. MachDiamond Silver badge

    FB's main income

    Facebook's main revenue stream is selling PII. Not the sort of company that you would want to use as a repository for your business information.

  7. TheMeerkat

    “ you want to get into business with a corporation that has failed to suppress misinformation”

    Don’t you know that when in the Eastern Block countries their Communist leader suppressed information and arrested dissidents it was always explained by the need to “suppress misinformation”?

    Looks like The Register is asking for Facebook to work on supporting let-wing totalitarianism.

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