[RECOOL]

OK.. we dont know what RIM are going to do with BBM. For us its the best mobile IM messaging app out and its ours.Apart from a new UI the only rumoured new feature RIM will add is video chat thats all we got thus far.Rumors circulating that RIM are considering becoming cross platform and wanting BBM to evolve into a social platform instead of stay as a IM app.Yeah it should be more than IM and rightly so adding video chat is cool but the cross platforming is a concern and comes with a bit of backlash.But overall I think we can all agree BBM needs to evolve and be more.

SO..... the crazy thoughts all kicked off in my head last week due to the US elections.I was up late watching it unfold in the UK.When it was declared Obama won the news channels did all their rounds commenting how there's been X amount of tweets etc and The President himself tweeting and emailing thanks to supporters etc.Instead of counting sheep to sleep I was thinking damn this birdchirp program is getting around BBM needs to get that kind of heat from then on my head just went into brainstorm mode.

I dont know if its possible but what if BBM had chat rooms?? 80 million users worldwide why are we talking to a select few and not having the option to talk to majority of users worldwide?? There's many threads in here asking people to jump into a BBM group to talk about somekind of topic.We would'nt need to do that If we had BBM chat rooms where we could just go into rooms and talk to connected BBM folk all over the world on a number of social topics and have option to add them.Wouldnt that be good and next level??

Imagine a massive social event that you know will have many opinions and talking points.Say an election,world cup final,fashion runway show, Floyd vs pacman(if it ever happens) these events are being streamed you wanna watch and talk about it and so do others worldwide.You load up BBM and hit the option for standalone BBM that almost always sits on top & wraps around any video player in the BB browser and away you chat.Heck the standalone BBM allows us to browse the net and use BBM at the same time we got cascades we can do that.

Due to a bigger screen the BBM standalone idea would favour the playbook and PC users if BBM goes cross platform.I didnt really see it working for the phones I like the thought of tablets doing things phone cant and vice versa.BBM chat could actually make a case for more of us to buy those PB keyboards.I dont think BBM chat experience would be as good on the phone battery drainage and smaller screen.But its possible and it could make good use of peek,flow have multitasking look even better.In the OS game having options gives you plus points.My imagination is quite wild so for the BBM chat on phones.RIM would need to have dual screen capabilitys that allow us to resize and choose what takes up more screen cover.TAT have messed with dual screen so its possible.

So we would have to open the BBM chat the subject which is about a new fashion line just released by designer X,open the browser see the fashion line pinch to zoom all that stuff.We enable dual screen on BBM chat and the browser (which we have option to stretch and make one screen bigger)we see the live chat comments then you just pull out the keyboard like the peek and flow gesture type your comment go back to the dual screen see the chat comments,see the fashion line rinse and repeat process and there you have RIMS new twist on multitasking showcased.

Damn well that covers BB users who are alot worldwide but we need more people in the chat rooms if RIm are to be a bigger social platform.If we want BBM to be big we need that worlwide birdchirp level user and rep only solution is cross platform which is a subject on its own.I had ideas on BBM music/video.But this openers already too damn long I'll leave it here already damn long.Add comments more idea's lets get into it.

[adamschuetze]

One thing is for certain, BBM groups needs to be able to handle more than 30 users. It's such a small arbitrary limitation.

If cross-platform (other mobile platforms) BBM isn't going to happen, I hope that at least there is a PC/Mac client for existing BBM customers (plug in your PIN, and your BBID password, and you're logged in).

[Laura Knotek]

RIM also needs to ensure that the BB10 devices do not lag or freeze due to BBM groups. When a member joins a group and all members have battery drain and lagging / freezing to the point the device is unusable, that is a problem.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

[belfastdispatcher]

As far as I'm concerned BBM is already a social platform.

[Dapper37]

Great idea, feazable I don't know but way to think out of the box. Whitout going cross platform I think BBM is restricting itself from greater posibilities.

[Dapper37]

Twitter does need some competition....

[Andrew4life]

That would be a great idea. Imagine BBM being the next twitter/facebook. No ads, just a $5 montly fee or something. And it would be partially cross platform so you can access your BBM on your phone or on the BBM website.

[Dapper37]

Perhaps there is some revenue to be had here. Adds on BBM for other platforms. This give a small reason for people to get a BB. No adds!

[RECOOL]

Well they just added BBM voip which is great and will come in handy if credit/minutes is low or gone.Add video chat were getting looked after I can see it now loudspeaker group voip chats over sports.I still want chat rooms still think it would be cool to talk to BB folk worldwide.

@ dapper37 We pretty much pay for BBM through our data plans.There's no way these other platforms who jailbreak for free apps and are used to free stuff will pay monthly fees on top of their contracts and data plans especially as a free IM exist.The best answer to cross platform is through a RIM webpage,PC client download and through the website they get the basics and no BB10 features.RIm could make money of web page advertising.

[mithrazor]

I hope they do make chat rooms.

Chat rooms on AIM when I was younger were so much fun.

[berriac]

that is indeed a quite long idea

[timmy t]

Like I said, I wouldn't be surprised if BBM could connect with Skype. RIM and Microsoft seem to compete with each other but also get along.

[shemaree09]

I agree. BBM needs a web version, profile pages, games, video chat, and active interest groups.

It should be like a combination of twitter, facebook, instagram, LinkedIn and 4square exclusive to Blackberry users.

Its all about marketing. You can take an existing idea and just make it cool, then the people will come.