[blackberrybrad]

WhatsApp is free, kik, messenger, pretty much everything else is free of charge without ads.

But that is not a sustainable business model. These platforms will have to start looking for ad revenues.

Posted via CB10

[John Vieira]

Ooof, I can't wait for the day that happens. Then it gets deleted. Oh wait, I own a priv, it gets disabled and never touched again.

I'll text or use another solution.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[semime]

But that is not a sustainable business model. These platforms will have to start looking for ad revenues.

Posted via CB10

What subscription business model for a messenger has been successful? I would claim that as not sustainable either. As a whole we simply drift to the next free up and coming service available until it too outgrows it's roots.

[hplovecraft]

Are people now really defending BBM?

i) It is awful to have adds in a messaging app

ii) it is not common. Whatsapp, for example, does not have adds and does not charge per year or so.

iii) Using a possible future 'Whatsapp will use adds' in a way that it is nearly a fact is wrong.

So BBM now has a sticker section which always reminds me of new stuff to buy, and wants adds in my chats. Signs of a classy, sleek communication app.

Posted via CB10

[Wybrem]

Are people now really defending BBM?

i) It is awful to have adds in a messaging app

ii) it is not common. Whatsapp, for example, does not have adds and does not charge per year or so.

iii) Using a possible future 'Whatsapp will use adds' in a way that it is nearly a fact is wrong.

So BBM now has a sticker section which always reminds me of new stuff to buy, and wants adds in my chats. Signs of a classy, sleek communication app.

Posted via CB10

Indeed, that whole store made BBM crap if you ask me. Besides that, nobody on Earth uses it anymore. I have 0 active BBM contacts and 100 active whatsapp friends.

[khlover520]

WhatsApp is free, kik, messenger, pretty much everything else is free of charge without ads.

Free stuff always comes with limitations.

Posted via CB10

[AnimalPak200]

When a service is 'free', then you're the product.

Wonder how those cows feel after all that 'free' food (probably full).

Posted via CB10

[Doggerz]

Are people now really defending BBM?

i) It is awful to have adds in a messaging app

ii) it is not common. Whatsapp, for example, does not have adds and does not charge per year or so.

iii) Using a possible future 'Whatsapp will use adds' in a way that it is nearly a fact is wrong.

So BBM now has a sticker section which always reminds me of new stuff to buy, and wants adds in my chats. Signs of a classy, sleek communication app.

Posted via CB10

It never ceases to amaze me how BlackBerry can do anything and people here will defend them.

BlackBerry screwed up BBM so badly already that it's impossible for me to be in any more disbelief.

The whole subscriptions thing for no ads, for retracting messages for custom pins, etc, when that should have all been free. The no cross platform video chat. The whole stickers thing. BBM would have been number one if that were all free.

Now Chen does this?

But what do I know. According to this thread BlackBerry does everthing right. I guess being Chenned must feel good to some people. I'm the oddball who got sick of being Chenned.

Z5 - E6853 / Android 6.0 / T-Mobile USA

[ohaiguise]

BlackBerry: the company that can do nothing right.

They are truly incompetent in everything they do!

[peninha]

I'm honestly dumbfounded by how out of touch Blackberry is with the customer, with all the options out there do they really think this is the way to gain customers. For those of you with BBM Protected, is it ad-free and sponsor invite free, the sponsored invites that you delete and keep on returning no matter how many times you delete it are really ticking me off.

[Uzi]

I'm honestly dumbfounded by how out of touch Blackberry is with the customer, with all the options out there do they really think this is the way to gain customers. For those of you with BBM Protected, is it ad-free and sponsor invite free, the sponsored invites that you delete and keep on returning no matter how many times you delete it are really ticking me off.

Yep I'm using BBM protect, ad free

[hplovecraft]

It never ceases to amaze me how BlackBerry can do anything and people here will defend them.

BlackBerry screwed up BBM so badly already that it's impossible for me to be in any more disbelief.

The whole subscriptions thing for no ads, for retracting messages for custom pins, etc, when that should have all been free. The no cross platform video chat. The whole stickers thing. BBM would have been number one if that were all free.

Now Chen does this?

But what do I know. According to this thread BlackBerry does everthing right. I guess being Chenned must feel good to some people. I'm the oddball who got sick of being Chenned.

Z5 - E6853 / Android 6.0 / T-Mobile USA

Me too.

If all fails just use the old ' Ha!, if it's free they mine for your data you fools' argument (like the post before you. Forgetting the BBM used to be free and you do not pay for the servce per se, but for the unlocking of certain features.

I wonder what people would write if WA had a sticker store, Adds and unlocking of features per Subscription (not one time payment, no).

Posted via CB10

[blackberrybrad]

Me too.

If all fails just use the old ' Ha!, if it's free they mine for your data you fools' argument (like the post before you. Forgetting the BBM used to be free and you do not pay for the servce per se, but for the unlocking of certain features.

I wonder what people would write if WA had a sticker store, Adds and unlocking of features per Subscription (not one time payment, no).

Posted via CB10

BBM was never free it was paid for by BIS subscriptions as a value added service.

Posted via CB10

[pineapple2607]

This will be a stupid move. Give us BBM video cross platform..

Posted via CB10

[MmmHmm]

When is the last time BlackBerry had a truly successful product or service? The pattern seems to be that BlackBerry releases or starts pushing some new thing (like cross platform BBM), people on Crackberry talk it up like crazy as if it's so far superior to all competitors that you'd have to be a fool to use anything else. At some point there are signs of failure in the market, people on here still defend it, but BlackBerry starts to do things with it that people on here disagree with so arguments take place (like ads on BBM). Then BlackBerry pulls the plug on the product all together and lays off the workers. Then the talk here shifts to what went wrong. Typically the failure is blamed on poor marketing.

BlackBerry is basically incapable of releasing a successful product line and delivering a product that consumers want to use.

[David Tyler]

It is not incompetence. So you don't like ads, service is now $19.99 per year.

Totally agree. Gotta pay for it somehow. Economics 101: "There is no free lunch." I throw BBM some $$ each year for BBM Protected.

People pay for WasteCrook and WhatsCrapp -- just not in a way that's obvious to them. Personally, I'd rather just pay for what I'm using.

[David Tyler]

But that is not a sustainable business model.

https://www.quora.com/How-does-Whats...ially-in-India

"Whatsapp doesn't sell ads, it sells us to ads. You can clearly read the disclaimer in privacy policy of Whatsapp."

[David Tyler]

My point is that a service like this can't be funded on sunshine and lolipops... If you watch a YouTube series such as GMM, you will see advertising all over the place.

Plus, am I missing something, or is there an additional feature that forces your thumb to open that sponsored message?

[John Vieira]

When BlackBerry was working on this for free, as a company struggling for relevance, I'd give them a break.

But not this. Forget this. I'll move on.

Yes other Messenger data mine you and make you the product, but I won't use them either.

BBM is a convenience, and if they fill it with ads, it's less convenient, so I'm not even gonna bother.

Forget it, shut it down like you have every single other part of your business, don't leave users wondering. Just nip it in the bud and let people move on.

Posted via �\_(ツ)_/�

[TomatoPaste]

What's BBM?

Lol thanks for the laugh.

BBM = buttered biscuit munchers

If you think I said it, I didn't say it.

[David Tyler]

Oh well one more reason to use free Whatsapp

Nothing is free. Nothing.

[1khalid]

Oh well one more reason to use free Whatsapp

Posted via CB10

LOL, nothing is free! You are paying for it with the information your handing over to Facebook on a silver platter.

[TgeekB]

Totally agree. Gotta pay for it somehow. Economics 101: "There is no free lunch." I throw BBM some $$ each year for BBM Protected.

People pay for WasteCrook and WhatsCrapp -- just not in a way that's obvious to them. Personally, I'd rather just pay for what I'm using.

Aww... You made a funny word!

[mad_mdx]

It is not incompetence. So you don't like ads, service is now $19.99 per year.

Posted via CB10

Yes because whatsapp has ads?

[vpblaze]

Well not that I have been looking for an excuse to leave BBM, but this might be pushing me closer to the edge!
BBM hasn't had anything for customer support or relations in a long time! When was the last time they actually brought out a feature or made substantial changes that we have requested? BBM Video being the main one in my books!

At the end of the day, this is falling into the current BlackBerry business plan.
The last ditch effort....