As iOS devices are premium, having a Lite version wouldn't serve Facebook any good. I'm pretty sure they get most of their mobile revenue from iOS devices.
Actually, Android users surpassed iPhone users on Facebook back at the end of 2012. I haven't heard that they're not displaying ads on the Lite version, so that shouldn't have an impact. That said, I've noticed that the battery drain doesn't seem to be as bad on an iPhone when compared to the drain in Android (which is why I uninstalled that app a while ago).
I'm not exactly sure what you mean. iCloud data is reportedly encrypted at rest. The issue is that Apple has the decryption key. And they keep it in order to recover you from a lost password event, so that is likely to always be true forever.
Having said that, you can add another layer of your own encryption to certain data that is stored in iCloud, like for example the latest Notes app in iOS 9.3. Apple won't have that key.. but the app warns you the data will be lost if you lose it. You could also encrypt files you store in iCloud Drive using an encryption app. But you wouldn't be able to do this with other data that is managed by iOS like iCloud backups or photo libraries.
African here (WE are poor too, "Free Basics" will serve us as well)
> Personally, I believe Zuckerberg is sincere in wanting to connect everyone in the world with each other.
I personally think you're a lobbyist or you just like Mark (I mean who wouldn't, eccentric billionaire who gave MOST of his fortune away to a good cause. How could he possibly want to make MORE money)
> But he is looking from the inside out.
Yeah, EXACTLY, ask US (poor people) what we want! --- WE want our Mellenia to use snapchat (with the effects & everything), Netflix & Chill...oh my bad, I lost my train of thought. What I wanted to say was that, WE want you people (first world) to donate to UNICEF so the starving child with a fly on his eye can eat --- that was my outside-in view.
Edit: to all the poor Indians who fought against "free basics", my upmost respect & gratitude --- I hope someday we can all Netflix & Chill instead of just pocking ;)
Mind if I ask how you usually access HN? Mobile? A mac you own? An internet cafe? Do you know anyone who would consider something like free basic? What's their story? I've heard basically nothing from anyone who might use facebook-basics (unless they are being used as a propaganda tool), and I'd love to.
So I just created an HN account to answer this. I'm in Accra, Ghana.
> Mind if I ask how you usually access HN?
My PC, with WiFi at home.
> Do you know anyone who would consider something like free basic?
I would. Already, mobile networks have Facebook and Wikipedia (iirc) zero-rated. Meaning you pay nothing to use those services. My startup is trying to get zero-rating on Vodafone to encourage our customers to use our service.
Having free access to some useful sites is a plus. Having my Internet restricted to those sites is a minus.
> What is the process of getting zero-rating like?
I don't know. As far as I can tell (what we're doing) we're speaking to the telcos directly. There's no formal process for getting zero-rating. We have an investor/incubator relationship with Vodafone Ghana. Zero-rating our service is just one of the things we're negotiating.
> Are you glad that zero rating exists in your market?
Uhh...I should put my current feelings in context.
I didn't care much 2-3yrs ago because these were marketed as carrier promos, and telcos in Ghana have a bad reputation already. It was none of my business until word went round that MTN (the largest in Ghana, huge across Africa) will start charging special rates for using certain apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, the usual.
The response in our small tech community was mixed. A lot of people I asked weren't aware, but there few that were, were truly outraged.
I didn't follow the news but it seemed other telcos started moving in that direction, then backed down. All the while, 0.facebook.com was still promoted on billboards in Accra.
So it's two things: you can get useful services for free (so you remain subscribed to the network, I guess) or you can be charged specially for using a service that really matters.
My feelings are mixed at this point but I'd much rather prefer a neutral net than one that can favour or penalize services. That leaves an uncomfortable room for abuse.
American in TZ here. I'm skeptical of FB motives but the Free Basics user experience is undeniably good -- it just works. I put up a few screenshots from Free Basics on Tigo Tanzania in a recent blog post (link in profile).
I do most of my weekend and past working hours browsing via my iPhone(5S). I only use 3G (LTE is just too damn expensive), working hours I use wifi(4mbps / 8mpbs) with my MBP
> ...who would consider something like free basic?
I can't put a number on it but from what I've observed it's SCARY to see the consequences if Free Basics took off. All internet cafes already have Facebook as the default page (most people don't even know how to logout, they just close the tab).
One thing that gives me hope is that people also know Google (I personally use DDG).
There is no facade, they have said the aim is to get more full-internet users to telcos while getting more people on facebook.
So, they have convinced telcos to give free-basics for free for the poor and soon they will see them switching to full internet. And in the process people will get addicted to fb too.
Poor - Win
FB - Win
Telcos - Win
I don't understand, why people are only seeing non net-neutrality way of making money from this. There are ways for them to make money in the above way too.
Their service used to be called Internet.org, but after getting called out by the EFF and others for not being the internet, Facebook rebranded it.
It's definitely a front for what Comcast et al have been trying to do to destroy net neutrality. The only difference is that it's under the guise of a "helping the poor" facade, and you've been fooled by it.
Non neutral webs can be easily curtailed by government authorities, it has been proven in the past when Airtel tried to give a "fast lane" speed to certain website.
Why to kill something when you are not sure that it will definitely result in non net neutral internet. If there are people doubting it, then you must wait till it really makes the web non neutral, then the government can interfere. Government just have to give one notice to the telcos to stop this.
They're a for-profit company that is violating net neutrality and damaging ISP market growth in developing nations. Your logic justifying this as an "experiment" is just as unethical as the logic behind something like the AZT trials.
The infrastructure already exists. IIRC Free Basics uses the existing mobile internet infrastructure. I would suggest it'd be better for ISPs to offer a free, data capped tier, funded by whomever chooses to do so (governments, charities, etc...). If Facebook truly wanted to be philanthropic they could fund a scheme like this, rather than following a plan designed to directly benefit their core business.
The flaw with this analogy is that when you need to revisit the house you built with a hammer and nails, you can continue using your nail gun. In S/W development, you have to go back to using the hammer and nails (or at the very least have a strong understanding of the hammer and nails). Furthermore, once you've built a house, it's built, and the work you will be doing on it will be minimal. Software development is almost the opposite.
> The flaw with this analogy is that when you need to revisit the house you built with a hammer and nails, you can continue using your nail gun.
Say clients wanted a kitchen completely remodeled, you still don't have to use hammer and nails or nail gun --- I could easily demolish the kitchen and 3D print the new kitchen
What you know/done before doesn't necessarily dictate what you'll [can] do (which is the case on the Web)
I guess my analogy is being scrutinized (so to speak), that being said; YES!, that WILL happen if the carpenter doesn't know any better (or is a crook).
A smart/savvy (or whatever you want to call it) carpenter will easily do the modification[S] without tearing down the entire kitchen. Just like you can drop React into an existing project.
Yeah, this is something I struggle with: Always trying to find something new to learn and not mastering anything. It is exhausting, but ultimately it depends on me.
That said, to me the React ecosystem is the opposite of "convention over configuration" which can frustrate a lot of beginners. There's no popular `rails new` or `ember new` to get you started.
I too went through Angular and React, Vue combines best of both (especially after 1.0, pre 1.0 syntax was weird for me at least)
The great thing about Vue is the beautifully simplistic API (not to mention the amazing documentation) + Vue works WITH the DOM (which gives it performance boost - contrary to popular belief)
