On: WhatsApp is rolling out its own version of Snapchat (and Instagram) Stories

[petters]

Google has lately stressed the importance of communication apps doing only one single thing (Allo, Duo, and Messenger for SMS).

But Google's competitors seem to be going in the opposite direction. Facebook messenger does SMS as well since a while back.

[AznHisoka → petters]

All I need in my life is Gmail and GTalk.

Unfortunately, Google for some insane reason killed GTalk. Chat right there in my Gmail.

So convenient. So elegant. So useful.

Killed. For No Good Reason.

[1propionyl → AznHisoka]

GTalk didn't surreptitiously invade your privacy well enough.

None of Google or Facebook's products are truly "free".

[linkregister → AznHisoka]

What is the chat that shows up in my Gmail, is that a different service?

[donclark → linkregister]

that is google hangouts. seems like the same app, but its different.

[bastawhiz → petters]

And that's why Allo is failing. I don't want to think about how I'm chatting with someone. If Google can upgrade that to a better experience than SMS with their Allo special sauce, great. But having three or more inboxes for the same types of conversations (Allo, Hangouts, iMessage, etc.) is just dumb.

[chinathrow → bastawhiz]

> I don't want to think about how I'm chatting with someone.

I do - since I know that not 100% of my contacts use exactly 1 messenger app. I also favour diversity instead of single platform lock-in.

[post_break → petters]

I feel like Google doesn't know what to do when it comes to communication apps. It was so close to perfecting hangouts. SMS, google voice, merged threads. All it needed was something similar to iMessage to crush all but then they started taking out features and then come out with Allo, Duo, etc.

[tinus_hn → petters]

You might not want to look at the party that keeps producing flops if you want to see what to do.