Snippet: Why I Still Use the Admittedly-Awful Messages ☇

Rob Griffiths:

But even beyond that—even if Messages were so abysmal it lost 50% of the messages I sent and often force rebooted my devices and remotely spilled my milk—I would probably continue to use it. Why? Because Apple isn’t in the business of making money off of who I talk to, what I talk to them about, or what devices I use to do that talking. Apple wants to sell devices, not data about how people are using Apple’s devices.

The anti-iMessage grumbling has started picking up steam, and while there certainly aren’t as many “fun” or handy features (GIFs, short URLs), it works well enough for my needs and still avoids the fragmentation of various instant messaging services of the ’90s. If I’m texting someone with an Apple device, iMessage works and gives us a few features. If I’m texting someone on a different device (or with poor connectivity), it falls back on SMS, a reliable mechanism. Plus, if I am using iMessage, I know exactly where Apple’s interests lie, much like Griffiths pointed out in his post.