Facebook Cuts Off Access to Voxer | Hacker News Reader

Facebook Cuts Off Access to Voxer

allthingsd.com

48 pointskhangtoh9 comments

Maybe this has something to do with Voxer's contact privacy and security issues: http://www.petergmcdermott.com/2012/01/voxer-contacts-privac...

and

https://support.voxer.com/entries/20864097-security-bug

Facebook will now start acting more and more like Twitter: "If you are building anything on our platform that we might want to build in the future, then you'll get thrown off the platform eventually."

It's really starting to feel this way. I think it's still ok for developers building apps/games that uses Facebook platform but for a platform or any startup with some sort of social graph might want to think twice about it.

Facebook is much more of a "platform" than Twitter is, however. Though, personally, I don't use FB for anything other than on-site IMs and some status updates.

How much was Voxer paying for the access?

This. While it's regrettable Facebook has decided to strip platform access from "competing social networks," they are certainly within reason doing so, particularly as the restriction is part of their terms.

It's not about how much Voxer was paying, it's about how much users were paying.

How much is a Facebook user's personal information worth?

Users provide facebook a certain amount of information in return for access to the Facebook service and platform. (That includes apps like Voxer that can integrate with it.)

By denying Voxer access, Facebook is effectively making their service less valuable to its users. One day, they'll shut off access to a service enough Facebook users value that users will no longer value Facebook.

Twitter is going to learn this lesson the hard way too.

Good points. Though given todays market, if Voxer goes down another Facebook integrated clone of it will take over and the cycle is repeated.

I dont think people use Facebook primarily for outside service integration. They use it to keep in touch, see family/friends photos, hang out, and gossip. When Facebook goes down (if it even goes down) it will be due to something that violated the user norms. Not their privacy, but their use pattern. I know the tech industry is used to startups lasting one to five years, but Facebook is back by all the right players, and will be here for a while.

I don't mind. Voxer has been constantly sending me useless "messages" whenever my Facebook friends join Voxer. I get at least 1 or 2 every week.

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