[oz_insatiable]

Im a longtime Blackberry user, and love it, mainly just for how simple, functional and good it is at what it does...but recently i also realised just how important it is at keeping me connected with my friends, not just work related stuff.

A really close friend of mine recently left bb for an iphone, and its shocked me how little we talk now day to day. yes, sending a txt message is physically exactly the same as sending a bbm (an arguement i've had alot over the past couple of weeks!) but actually, for some reason its not. I talk reguarly with my bbm contacts, even to people im not that close to. status updates, pictures, what people are listening to etc...it really does 'connect' you with other people. We now joke that our friendship was obviously purely based on us both having bb's as we now seem to be drifting apart!

For all of blackberry strengths this i think is a big one, and i know loads of people who would never leave bb purely because of bbm...its unfortunatly also something that non bb users wont understand until they are part of the circle. whatsapp is no bbm, theres no comparison...i wouldnt give a stranger my phone number, but id gladly give them my pin. I'm not sure about elsewhere, but in the UK the blackberry is never really marketed in that way, its a 'work' phone. Through word of mouth though alot of 'non work' people are getting blackberrys are becoming part of their own bb 'social network'...going forward I really think its a strength RIM should be shouting about, and not mentioned as an after thought...

Just the rantings of a happy blackberry user...

[kbz1960]

While it may be the best thing since sliced bread how social is any system that only works on 1 platform. Don't know about anyone else but I think it's very limiting and unsocial because we all know people like and use different platforms. That doesn't go just for RIM either as imessage is the same way.

[Dapper37]

+1 On all you said OP. I'll highlight the importance on the new BBM Social integration. Facebook and the like (pun intended) on top of what you mentioned, the music and connected BBM apps integration. All quickly gaining in popularity. RIM has an early lead in what's to become something far more important than 5 katrillion apps.
the social network in your hand
RIM will happily work with everyone in the future, during their era of domination

[Ben1232]

+2

I hardly ever text, if I do its for information only oppose to chatting to someone. Whatsapp I try not to use but its usually for info only too.

There was a thread recently where so many people said they haven't even used bbm and have been with Blackberry for some time. Sounds odd to me.

My main comminication is bbm, I even have a forex group in which we speak throughout the work day.

[Chrisy]

Try Live Profile for BBM-like chatting. It's cross platform and uses a PIN. You can't do file sharing with the BlackBerry LP app though. Personally, I prefer to not use a PIN but oh well.

LP works great on iPhone, Android and Blackberry.

[kbz1960]

+2

I hardly ever text, if I do its for information only oppose to chatting to someone. Whatsapp I try not to use but its usually for info only too.

There was a thread recently where so many people said they haven't even used bbm and have been with Blackberry for some time. Sounds odd to me.

My main comminication is bbm, I even have a forex group in which we speak throughout the work day.

That is because you have to know people you want to chat with who own a bb otherwise if your family and friends don't have a bb it is worthless.

[Ben1232]

That is because you have to know people you want to chat with who own a bb otherwise if your family and friends don't have a bb it is worthless.

That definitely helps.

Usually like attracts like. Since my first Blackberry I have met others who I wouldn't have otherwise met.

I hear you though.

[ubizmo]

There was a thread recently where so many people said they haven't even used bbm and have been with Blackberry for some time. Sounds odd to me.

I'm one. I've had a BB for 5 years and have never used BBM. I'd uninstall it but doing so causes problems.

I've never known anyone else with a BB. I had one friend who had one for a while and by the time I thought to ask for his PIN he had sold it and bought something else.

What's odd about it?

[Ben1232]

I'm one. I've had a BB for 5 years and have never used BBM. I'd uninstall it but doing so causes problems.

I've never known anyone else with a BB. I had one friend who had one for a while and by the time I thought to ask for his PIN he had sold it and bought something else.

What's odd about it?

75,000,000 Blackberrys out there and some people still don't know each other despite bb's being communication devices.

Its odd to me as it was said on the number 1 site for Blackberrys.

See my angle ?

[JAGWIRE]

100% agree with the OP. BBs are a great way to be and stay social. With the 'connected' apps too its awesome! not only can you share files and chat you can now play games and really feel connected to the other people on your BBM list. personally ive only known BB for a smart phone and i dont see why id ever leave

[JAGWIRE]

I'm one. I've had a BB for 5 years and have never used BBM. I'd uninstall it but doing so causes problems.

I've never known anyone else with a BB. I had one friend who had one for a while and by the time I thought to ask for his PIN he had sold it and bought something else.

What's odd about it?

congrats on master status!!!!

[Ben1232]

The people you already know are not the point. There are millions of people around the world who would like to get to know you. Find one of the many BBM lists and select some people to chat with. About 1 out of 15 will be people you will want to spend time with.

Excellenty said.

Thought I was gonna get 20 lashings here.

[kbz1960]

I guess not everyone is into chatting with and keeping in contact with total strangers. Guess I am just not social enough to today's standard.

So do you ignore family and friends that don't have bbm? Do imessage users ignore their family and friends that don't have it? Do you try to talk them into getting what have or do they try to get you to change?

Would be great if they all just worked on all platforms so if you are that social you're limiting yourself to only people that own "this" I would think you're missing out on some great people.

[Ben1232]

I guess not everyone is into chatting with and keeping in contact with total strangers. Guess I am just not social enough to today's standard.

So do you ignore family and friends that don't have bbm? Do imessage users ignore their family and friends that don't have it? Do you try to talk them into getting what have or do they try to get you to change?

Would be great if they all just worked on all platforms so if you are that social you're limiting yourself to only people that own "this" I would think you're missing out on some great people.

I mainly chat via bbm. As stated above I also text / whatsapp too.

A stranger is a friend I don't yet know LOL

[T�nis]

I have a loved one in another country with whom I communicate daily. Cheap beatch won't get a BlackBerry. We use im programs that work okay, but can be unreliable even on a BlackBerry, disconnecting from their servers from time to time, much less on her garbage, basic, data-enabled phone which is often out of credit. Texts are expensive, and I usually bear the burden of the cost. She can't even do email from her phone reliably. I wish she would just get a BlackBerry so we could stay connected via bbm all the time, all included. It's a one way relationship, you know? I do all the work and spend all the money. I will find new friends who do their part. BlackBerry is the way. BlackBerry keeps people connected.

[_StephenBB81]

I guess not everyone is into chatting with and keeping in contact with total strangers. Guess I am just not social enough to today's standard.

So do you ignore family and friends that don't have bbm? Do imessage users ignore their family and friends that don't have it? Do you try to talk them into getting what have or do they try to get you to change?

Would be great if they all just worked on all platforms so if you are that social you're limiting yourself to only people that own "this" I would think you're missing out on some great people.

Actually yes I do.

My Mother does not have a BlackBerry but 3 of her sisters do, I talk to them via BBM far more often, they hear I'm coming to town and I ask them to tell my mother, I send less than 50 texts a month, and receive about double that, which I try and limit because receiving texts while I travel costs me a boat load.

Those who WANT/NEED to keep in touch with me have BlackBerry's if they don't then we don't communicate, be long time friends, or family, BBM is my chosen personal means of communication, if you don't have it you're out of the loop, fortunately my close friend circle are all BlackBerry users, and can't bare the thought of touchscreens, we all have very busy demanding jobs and our phones are tied to that.

Beyond my close personal friends I have many BBM contacts I have never met, but then again I have met close to 40 people now from BBM, during my travels,

The quote above, a Stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet, is one I firmly believe in.
But I also am the kind of guy who picks up 10+ HitchHikers every year, and am likely to let someone crash on my couch/spare bed, after just meeting them for an hour.

[oz_insatiable]

I guess not everyone is into chatting with and keeping in contact with total strangers. Guess I am just not social enough to today's standard.

So do you ignore family and friends that don't have bbm? Do imessage users ignore their family and friends that don't have it? Do you try to talk them into getting what have or do they try to get you to change?

Would be great if they all just worked on all platforms so if you are that social you're limiting yourself to only people that own "this" I would think you're missing out on some great people.

To be brutally honest...the answers probably yes! I either bbm people or phone them, hardly ever send text messages.

I dont know what it is...to me a bbm convo is just that, a long, on going conversation...where as a text message just isnt. for me it almost feels too formal, there needs to be a point to sending a text message, where as with a bbm a simple 'hi' can develop into hours of on going conversation. and i think thats something only blackberry owners understand. if i text a non blackberry user simply saying 'hi' the likely reply would be 'erm...hi. what do you want?'

but maybe its just me

[Ben1232]

To be brutally honest...the answers probably yes! I either bbm people or phone them, hardly ever send text messages.

I dont know what it is...to me a bbm convo is just that, a long, on going conversation...where as a text message just isnt. for me it almost feels too formal, there needs to be a point to sending a text message, where as with a bbm a simple 'hi' can develop into hours of on going conversation. and i think thats something only blackberry owners understand. if i text a non blackberry user simply saying 'hi' the likely reply would be 'erm...hi. what do you want?'

but maybe its just me

So true, you have banged the nail on the head there !

[Chrisy]

Wow, you guys are harsh! Ignoring your mother because she doesn't use BBM! Ouch. I made it a point to install Live Profile on my moms iPhone the minute she got it. Then I took a week to make sure she knew how to use it.

But that's just me. I love my mom and wouldn't talk to her less because she doesn't use the same brand as me.

I have an iPhone friend in TN, my best friend, and we have convos via email. You can send pics and etc. Ya there's no D and R
...but damn! It's better than cutting my best friend out of my life or talking to her less.

Sorry, but you guys sound like tools when you say you stop talking to family members or close friends because they don't use BBM. I mean, seriously?

[_StephenBB81]

Wow, you guys are harsh! Ignoring your mother because she doesn't use BBM! Ouch. I made it a point to install Live Profile on my moms iPhone the minute she got it. Then I took a week to make sure she knew how to use it.

But that's just me. I love my mom and wouldn't talk to her less because she doesn't use the same brand as me.

I have an iPhone friend in TN, my best friend, and we have convos via email. You can send pics and etc. Ya there's no D and R
...but damn! It's better than cutting my best friend out of my life or talking to her less.

Sorry, but you guys sound like tools when you say you stop talking to family members or close friends because they don't use BBM. I mean, seriously?

It is not that I talk to my mom less, it is that I don't talk to her more, I talk to her no more or no less than I did as a Student.
the Change is, that those with BlackBerry's will hear from me weekly or be able to follow where in the world I might be via my BBM status, those without BBM, well they must wait for me to have a day off to pick up the phone and make a call that I wont have to hang up on to answer a business call.

my inbox currently has 573 unread emails, It SHOULD get cleared out by the end of this weekend, chatting with people via email is just not a realistic way to keep in touch, with the exception of my older family who get/give monthly or quarterly "hey I'm not dead yets"

BBM makes it easy for me to keep personal connections whilst I work, if you don't have it, you must wait till I'm not working, which isn't often.

[Detective M Downs]

I prefer BBM as well, but I just recently downloaded whatsapp; which is ok. My girlfriend tells me, if I switch to a non-blackberry she will break up with me. So, I'm always saying, it's time for a new non-blackberry phone.

[Chrisy]

I just saw this on my cousin's YouTube site. Lol. That's me saying I like my BlackBerry. I was checking out an Android.



My BlackBerry lasted all Disney day. That's all I'll say. The narrator with the DROID was using his backup phone, a BlackBerry, by the end of the day! Ole reliable.

[belfastdispatcher]

Wow, you guys are harsh! Ignoring your mother because she doesn't use BBM! Ouch. I made it a point to install Live Profile on my moms iPhone the minute she got it. Then I took a week to make sure she knew how to use it.

But that's just me. I love my mom and wouldn't talk to her less because she doesn't use the same brand as me.

I have an iPhone friend in TN, my best friend, and we have convos via email. You can send pics and etc. Ya there's no D and R
...but damn! It's better than cutting my best friend out of my life or talking to her less.

Sorry, but you guys sound like tools when you say you stop talking to family members or close friends because they don't use BBM. I mean, seriously?

You can make your BB email show D and R

[[email protected]]

Wow, you guys are harsh! Ignoring your mother because she doesn't use BBM! Ouch. I made it a point to install Live Profile on my moms iPhone the minute she got it. Then I took a week to make sure she knew how to use it.

But that's just me. I love my mom and wouldn't talk to her less because she doesn't use the same brand as me.

I have an iPhone friend in TN, my best friend, and we have convos via email. You can send pics and etc. Ya there's no D and R
...but damn! It's better than cutting my best friend out of my life or talking to her less.

Sorry, but you guys sound like tools when you say you stop talking to family members or close friends because they don't use BBM. I mean, seriously?

++1000000000000000 + an additional 100 Decillion

[kittencounter]

People have very different view of their social life. I think you shouldn't mix up "staying in touch with your friends" and "sharing everything else with other ppl". Even you use the same thing they use, you are in the same social network as they are, you still have the feeling they are more "social" than you. Mainly it's because they go out more often, travel more, make more photos, post them more often, tweets more about things. It's not a bad thing because sharing makes ppl happy.

Do you remember there was a time where everyone started to write blogs about things they do everyday and then it suddenly died off? It's because everyone was writing but none was reading. It's the same with facebook and twitter, but with less bla bla and faster posting. You don't have the freedom to go to check on ppl when you want but you get the their posts slap in your face the moment you open your page. If not, 1000 notifications emails will remind you for that.

The way I keep in touch with my friends is to call them like "Yo, have time for a beer?" or "Hey, I'm bored, want to do nothing 2gether?"

"Facebook friends come and go but best friends will stay around forever"