Ask HN: How did Google botch messaging/video/hangouts so badly?
Several years ago, from within Gmail, I could:
* Make a phone call
* Send an SMS
* Send a Google chat
* Start a video call with my parents
Now, all of this has been split up, and to start a video call, I have to start a video and send an email inviting someone. SMS has been split up into a separate web app that won't work without my phone being present.
How did it come to pass that they took an easy, integrated system and mangled it so badly? I mean, it wasn't perfect, but it mostly just worked, and was easy to use.
* Make a phone call
* Send an SMS
* Send a Google chat
* Start a video call with my parents
Now, all of this has been split up, and to start a video call, I have to start a video and send an email inviting someone. SMS has been split up into a separate web app that won't work without my phone being present.
How did it come to pass that they took an easy, integrated system and mangled it so badly? I mean, it wasn't perfect, but it mostly just worked, and was easy to use.