Tuesday, November 5

Tag: social chat

China ban Clubhouse app, used for political discussion
CHINA

China ban Clubhouse app, used for political discussion

BEIJING (AP), 11th Feb 2021— Zeng Jiajun, a former tech worker, fell in love with social media app Clubhouse, a window through the ruling Communist Party’s pervasive censorship, after listening to a freewheeling discussion between members of China’s Uighur minority and Han majority that wound up lasting 12 hours. Thousands of Chinese flocked to the app, which allowed unfettered discussion with people abroad about democracy, Taiwan and other sensitive topics at a time when President Xi Jinping’s government is increasingly hostile to independent voices. “This kind of communication is rare,” Zeng said. “Hearing someone’s voice can make both sides realize we’re all human.” On Monday, that window slammed shut when Chinese users lost access to Clubhouse, adding it to thousands of websit...
India is Primed for the ChatBot Revolution
BLOGS

India is Primed for the ChatBot Revolution

On my way to work in Bangalore last week (I’m an intern at a chatbot company), I was listening to Radio One, an Indian radio station, when I heard an ad for a competition. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Phone-in radio shows are nothing new in India. But then the radio show host said something curious: “WhatsApp us your messages at…”. I realized that, in India, WhatsApp isn’t a feature or an app like Uber or Swiggy but rather a basic utility like Internet or cell reception.   While those in the Western world were first exposed to the Internet through web pages on the desktop, Indians came online through WhatsApp. Today, if you want to stay in touch with your family and friends, you need WhatsApp. The phrase “WhatsApp me” has replaced the phrase “call me” or “message...