If you've downloaded it, you're stuck. If you uninstall it, you will be branded a web-illiterate. Either ways, with “work group” updates, letting go of WhatsApp is not an option. I benefit from it too. I can always send a WA text asking my boss for a holiday, and check out if he has received it or not.
The biggest privacy violation by WhatsApp, is not the “last seen at” update that everyone gets. It is my inability to log out of the app, and also be able to check my e-mail and keep other web-based apps live. I will have to shut off data on my phone to stop WA from buzzing.
The worst violation to WhatsApp might come after today. Facebook merged its slow-moving business with this app with fast-growing users. If it decides to merge its ambitious Facebook Mobile Chat app with WhatsApp, those like me and Jack Nicholson from 'As Good As It Gets', are in trouble.
The reasons are many—
1) I have many 'to-be-avoided' contacts of my Facebook whose numbers I have not fed to my phone
2) There are many contacts on Facebook. It is bad enough to see honeymoon pics of those whom I strain my brains to remember, I do not want to see them on WhatsApp too
3) I treat WA like free SMS. A buzzing phone is annoying, and no telecom regulator can help you stop annoying people from texting you (Not that they are able to stop Rs 2.5 crore real estate offers to a person who owns a Rs 13,000 handset)
4) I am tired of 'being unsocial' accusation. Here is a conversation
Friend (A work contact who I once had coffee with): Why did you unfriend me from Facebook?
Me: FB says we did not speak for the last two years.
Friend: That does not mean you unfriend me.
Me (guiltily): I am sorry. But you can always call me if you want to talk to me
Friend: But still yaaaaaaaa (Punju accent) Facebook ka mazaa hi kuch aur hai (Facebook is a lot of fun)
Me: Bye. Gotta log off
For years, I have consciously resisted FB goading me into adding my phone number to my profile. I almost did it once, as I was tired of trying to navigate it out of the page. I would also like to believe that there are many people like me who have spaced out their social networking usage patterns. I like to log into Facebook and Twitter only on the web, when I am free and would like to spend ten minutes of my free time. Never have I been as savvy nor have I been so clever, neither am I so hasty that I 'had' to update something right away. Besides, small groups on WhatsApp and the real few friends and their conversations are something I have come to enjoy on WA and preferred to replace large-canvas social networking like on FB, with.
The epiphany of the utility of web-supported texting came to me, a few months back. The head of a telecom operator was thrilled to see me using WA after their results press conference. “Ah. Internet usage is catching on. It is good news for us and if it goes on, we will increase data rates,” he said.
“But sir,” I asked, “You are not on WhatsApp. I always have to text you.”
“Tch Tch, these chat apps take away too much time. It is such a waste,” replied the telecom executive.
