Update: Just for fun, let's preface this article with a statistic that Facebook released today regarding Messenger usage.
You see, as unhappy as the masses seem to be about the forced migration to Facebook Messenger, they're apparently using it anyway, as Facebook reports the app now has 500 million active monthly users.
"This is an exciting milestone but with a half billion people relying on Messenger to communicate and connect, it is also a reminder that there is so much left for us to do," Facebook Director of Product Management Peter Martinazzi wrote on Facebook's newsroom site.
We won't argue with that.
Original story below…
Mark Zuckerberg recently completed a public Q&A and - amid fielding questions about his choice of T-shirt and David Fincher's The Social Network - explained the forced installation of Facebook Messenger.
He told the assembled crowd that the primary purpose of the Facebook app is the newsfeed, but that the company was noticing more and more usage of the direct messaging feature.
According to Zuckerberg, the experience of using the main Facebook app to send messages created too much friction when compared to dedicated messaging services like iMessage or Whatsapp.
"Even though it was a short term, painful thing to ask folks to install a separate messaging app, we knew that we could never deilver the quality of experience as just a tab inside the main Facebook app."
Adoption principle
Zuckerberg moved on to explain the forced adoption principle by saying that Facebook's goal was to create something for the entire community.
"We're trying to build a service that's good for everyone. Because Messenger is faster and more focused, if you're using it, you respond to messages faster," he said.
Okay, skirting the issue a bit there, Zuck. But then when you're dealing with 10 billion messages every day, you're never going to be able to please everyone.
Facebook Messenger is free, but the app still carries plenty of negative reviews from users unhappy about being forced to download it.
What do you think about Facebook's decision to force you into using a separate messaging app? Let us know in the comments box below.
- Read our opinion on why Twitter and Facebook are making the same mistakes as MySpace.
