The signs are clear as day — Google is the next Microsoft; confused, cluttered, and pushy. The company that spent the last five years unifying all its chat services has now released not one, but three new applications to restart the confusion. Some brains, right?
In the last few months, Google has launched a discussions app called Spaces, a video-chatting app called Duo, and now, a mobile messaging app called Allo. But I want to address Allo particularly in this post.
In my opinion, Google’s original chat service, Google Talk, was perfect for its time; it was simple, cross-platform, and lightweight. And along came Hangouts, which made for a decent successor. True, Hangouts initially suffered from numerous performance issues, but today, it is a worthy contender against the likes of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Google doesn’t seem to think so. Google believes that it ought to have its own real WhatsApp-rival, one that works using a phone number and not a Google account. And why is that, you ask? It’s because WhatsApp, in recent years, has grown tenfold in popularity and user base (especially in India) and Google believes that it has the wherewithal to outclass it. Also, no one ever really got the concept of Hangouts, although it’s quite simple really.
So I gave Allo a go for a couple of days and watched it crash beautifully on my Nexus 5X (so much for ideal Android apps testing ground, eh). Feeling content that two days was sufficient time spent testing the damn thing, I uninstalled it, got on my computer, and started typing.
Let's get straight to the rub — the much debated features of the app, Google Assistant and Smart Reply. In short, here’s what Google has developed — a third wheel that will constantly butt into your conversations with ready answers when discussing facts. And it won't just stop at being Hermione; it'll show you suggested replies for your texts, like 'OK’ and 'Haha’ depending on the incoming text. There is also a separate contact called Google Assistant that you can chat with. It’s Siri, but à la Google. Knock yourself out.
To improve these reply suggestions over time, the app will continuously record your replying styles and get a better understanding of who you are and how you text, robbing you clean of your privacy. But for now, let’s try and overlook that, because privacy was lost the day we got online. I am more worried about how we’re being robbed of our individuality.
Have you observed how your recipients read your messages so quickly and easily, but reply less frequently? I’m sure you’ve observed it; even got mad at times. By nature, it’s easy for us human beings to read something, but when asked to actively participate in a conversation, we’ll have to consciously apply time and effort. The Smart Reply feature in Allo is designed to help us in this process of replying, but I fear it may only do more damage than help. I am worried that in the name of convenience, we’ll slowly lose our sense of originality and spontaneity.
Think about it — at some point in the future, this app is going to be answering for us almost all the time, forcing us to choose one of the suggested replies over opening up the keyboard and typing; and we’ll give in, because it’s just so much faster. And our poor recipients will barely be able to tell the difference. Sure, it’ll know us well enough to suggest an ‘OMG! That’s dank!’ over a ‘It’s terrific!’ every once in a while, just to spice things up, but really? Do we really want a machine spicing things up for us?
And OK Google, it’s great to be in the know, but I’d hate to have unsolicited information shoved down my throat all the time. Besides, that’s what Google Now on Tap was designed for — so I can long-press the home button and expect Google Now to scan my screen for potential keywords to Google. Why is Google confusing everything again?
Allo can be a pain even if you don’t install it. Since it’s a Google app, and since Google calls all the shots on Android phones, you may receive text notifications from the app even if you haven’t installed it. Android’s undercover agent, Google Play services will ensure you get a pop-up of the message sent to you on Allo and also offer a link to the installation page. Doesn’t that sound like something Microsoft would do? On the bright side (if you can call it that), Google plans on bringing this app-less notification feature to other messaging apps as well.
Let’s try and sum up what I’m on about. Am I looking at Allo with a jaundiced eye? Yes, evidently. Can I be blamed? No! Because in an era where we ought to be standardising chat clients, we’re only seeing more of them crop up with agendas of their own. I am used to the flexibility protocols like XMPP offered over half a decade ago. And now, I am forced to see (and use, eventually) more and more platform-specific apps whose coolest features are animated stickers and a computer algorithm that can tell me knock-knock jokes.
As a stubborn millennial, all I can do is hold off the transition for as long as I can, dissuade my friends and family from texting on something new and rubbish, and finally give in when everyone I know is using it. Sheesh.
Until next time...
Vignesh
In the last few months, Google has launched a discussions app called Spaces, a video-chatting app called Duo, and now, a mobile messaging app called Allo. But I want to address Allo particularly in this post.
In my opinion, Google’s original chat service, Google Talk, was perfect for its time; it was simple, cross-platform, and lightweight. And along came Hangouts, which made for a decent successor. True, Hangouts initially suffered from numerous performance issues, but today, it is a worthy contender against the likes of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Google doesn’t seem to think so. Google believes that it ought to have its own real WhatsApp-rival, one that works using a phone number and not a Google account. And why is that, you ask? It’s because WhatsApp, in recent years, has grown tenfold in popularity and user base (especially in India) and Google believes that it has the wherewithal to outclass it. Also, no one ever really got the concept of Hangouts, although it’s quite simple really.
So I gave Allo a go for a couple of days and watched it crash beautifully on my Nexus 5X (so much for ideal Android apps testing ground, eh). Feeling content that two days was sufficient time spent testing the damn thing, I uninstalled it, got on my computer, and started typing.
Let's get straight to the rub — the much debated features of the app, Google Assistant and Smart Reply. In short, here’s what Google has developed — a third wheel that will constantly butt into your conversations with ready answers when discussing facts. And it won't just stop at being Hermione; it'll show you suggested replies for your texts, like 'OK’ and 'Haha’ depending on the incoming text. There is also a separate contact called Google Assistant that you can chat with. It’s Siri, but à la Google. Knock yourself out.
To improve these reply suggestions over time, the app will continuously record your replying styles and get a better understanding of who you are and how you text, robbing you clean of your privacy. But for now, let’s try and overlook that, because privacy was lost the day we got online. I am more worried about how we’re being robbed of our individuality.
Have you observed how your recipients read your messages so quickly and easily, but reply less frequently? I’m sure you’ve observed it; even got mad at times. By nature, it’s easy for us human beings to read something, but when asked to actively participate in a conversation, we’ll have to consciously apply time and effort. The Smart Reply feature in Allo is designed to help us in this process of replying, but I fear it may only do more damage than help. I am worried that in the name of convenience, we’ll slowly lose our sense of originality and spontaneity.
Think about it — at some point in the future, this app is going to be answering for us almost all the time, forcing us to choose one of the suggested replies over opening up the keyboard and typing; and we’ll give in, because it’s just so much faster. And our poor recipients will barely be able to tell the difference. Sure, it’ll know us well enough to suggest an ‘OMG! That’s dank!’ over a ‘It’s terrific!’ every once in a while, just to spice things up, but really? Do we really want a machine spicing things up for us?
And OK Google, it’s great to be in the know, but I’d hate to have unsolicited information shoved down my throat all the time. Besides, that’s what Google Now on Tap was designed for — so I can long-press the home button and expect Google Now to scan my screen for potential keywords to Google. Why is Google confusing everything again?
Allo can be a pain even if you don’t install it. Since it’s a Google app, and since Google calls all the shots on Android phones, you may receive text notifications from the app even if you haven’t installed it. Android’s undercover agent, Google Play services will ensure you get a pop-up of the message sent to you on Allo and also offer a link to the installation page. Doesn’t that sound like something Microsoft would do? On the bright side (if you can call it that), Google plans on bringing this app-less notification feature to other messaging apps as well.
Let’s try and sum up what I’m on about. Am I looking at Allo with a jaundiced eye? Yes, evidently. Can I be blamed? No! Because in an era where we ought to be standardising chat clients, we’re only seeing more of them crop up with agendas of their own. I am used to the flexibility protocols like XMPP offered over half a decade ago. And now, I am forced to see (and use, eventually) more and more platform-specific apps whose coolest features are animated stickers and a computer algorithm that can tell me knock-knock jokes.
As a stubborn millennial, all I can do is hold off the transition for as long as I can, dissuade my friends and family from texting on something new and rubbish, and finally give in when everyone I know is using it. Sheesh.
Until next time...
Vignesh
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