1.09 Bn users log in, 330mm use video chat
780mm users view Moments feed (like FB feed), 120mm users post to Moments
360mm read articles, 400mm use mini programs
Allen Zhang the creator of WeChat (I am a fangirl) gave a 2 hr long speech yesterday abt his thoughts on the product on the eve of its 10th anniversary.
It's a lot on Channels (the new video function in WeChat).
Here are my notes & comments in parentheses:
1.09 Bn users log in, 330mm use video chat
780mm users view Moments feed (like FB feed), 120mm users post to Moments
360mm read articles, 400mm use mini programs
In last 5 years, users are sending 33x more video msgs in chat, 10x more videos into their Moments feed.
Not everyone can write long content, but doing video requires new acct system (current public acct system is subscription based), we tried in 2017
Channels is NOT like your WeChat ID, which is for PRIVATE comms. It's WeChat's foray into public content.
WeChat tried 3 separate internal algo teams. Found that algo rec was much worse than people rec content performance.
But it's not that algos are bad, more that algos need large existing pool of content (this is true, ByteDance began w ”stealing" content).
Follows : Friend Rec : Machine Rec :: 1 : 2 : 10
Apparently right now it is already 1:2:9.
Friend Rec likely to be "knowledge based" content, Machine Rec likely to be brainless entertainment content.
Allen thinks video "files" will die. They don't make sense bc value of video is so much the creator info & viewer interactions. So that is how Channel Videos show up on Moments (link / cloud).
Most ppl distinguish short video as <1min. But this is artificial, we don't have a limit. Just that the 1st min becomes the "intro" to a "long" video.
We hope more long videos come to WeChat. (Woah, shots fired?)
Side note: lots of WeChat users now use "Last 3 days only" for their WeChat Moments feed. (I use 6 mos, LOL). So not much shown when
It's all abt "hit (clickthru) rate." It's like ur Pub Accts, the more u subscribe, the less ur hit rate. So we added "Frequently Read" at top (shows as circles on top of your feed).
Content always goes to lower barrier of creation. Livestreaming is easier than short video. It's just chatting (I think he's oversimplifying but yes, it's easier to get started). A meteor shower livestream got 1mm viewers just thru social WoM. Was surprising.
We're enhancing livestreaming functionality in mini programs for ecommerce. (This we already covered on @techbuzzchina Ep. 75).
(OK I think this is GENIUS esp w new lockdowns due to COVID flareup.)
In typical Allen style, NO.
We're not gonna spend any money bc the platform when well designed should be able to let creators feed themselves. We also want authentic content.
At WeChat we want the product to speak for itself, not rely on operations. (OK I get it Allen!)
So now here are the crazy ideas:
Your profile should reflect your state. We tried to have video profile but was hard. But still abt 1mm use it a day. We'll give ppl ability to write something (text, not video) very short re: their state. Purpose of social network is to find like-minded folks.
After video, lots of ppl aren't "listening" to music except when driving since they're "watching" so much stuff. Allen feels strongly current players suck, just show a rotating record (who still has records these days? oh yeah my hipster husband does.)
4) floating windows. I hate these, but since u can get interrupted in middle of long content they're
5) Input keyboard. We are R&Ding our own. Lots of ppl think we sell ur chat history, no. We don't analyze it at all. (So do 3rd party keyboards?)
Either u not sure what u're doing and do nothing, or
Channels is only 1-200 folks, incl 3 algo teams, this includes everyone, backend, ops etc. (OK this is legit a v small number of ppl, cuz Chinese internet cos are HUGE generally, 1-200 is a small Series A/B prod, since 2010.)
1) Connect 2) Simple.
Lots of social products connect just ppl, but we connect info, services, currency etc. We focus on decentralization, bc connection implies decentralized. (Lots might disagree but I agree, esp vs other Chinese cos)
We've added a lot of functions, but today's WeChat is still as simple as when we started (oh boy, I saw lots of folks disagreeing w this).
I hope it maintains its soul, beauty, creativity and style.
More from Tech
The entire discussion around Facebook’s disclosures of what happened in 2016 is very frustrating. No exec stopped any investigations, but there were a lot of heated discussions about what to publish and when.
In the spring and summer of 2016, as reported by the Times, activity we traced to GRU was reported to the FBI. This was the standard model of interaction companies used for nation-state attacks against likely US targeted.
In the Spring of 2017, after a deep dive into the Fake News phenomena, the security team wanted to publish an update that covered what we had learned. At this point, we didn’t have any advertising content or the big IRA cluster, but we did know about the GRU model.
This report when through dozens of edits as different equities were represented. I did not have any meetings with Sheryl on the paper, but I can’t speak to whether she was in the loop with my higher-ups.
In the end, the difficult question of attribution was settled by us pointing to the DNI report instead of saying Russia or GRU directly. In my pre-briefs with members of Congress, I made it clear that we believed this action was GRU.
The story doesn\u2019t say you were told not to... it says you did so without approval and they tried to obfuscate what you found. Is that true?
— Sarah Frier (@sarahfrier) November 15, 2018
In the spring and summer of 2016, as reported by the Times, activity we traced to GRU was reported to the FBI. This was the standard model of interaction companies used for nation-state attacks against likely US targeted.
In the Spring of 2017, after a deep dive into the Fake News phenomena, the security team wanted to publish an update that covered what we had learned. At this point, we didn’t have any advertising content or the big IRA cluster, but we did know about the GRU model.
This report when through dozens of edits as different equities were represented. I did not have any meetings with Sheryl on the paper, but I can’t speak to whether she was in the loop with my higher-ups.
In the end, the difficult question of attribution was settled by us pointing to the DNI report instead of saying Russia or GRU directly. In my pre-briefs with members of Congress, I made it clear that we believed this action was GRU.
These past few days I've been experimenting with something new that I want to use by myself.
Interestingly, this thread below has been written by that.
Let me show you how it looks like. 👇🏻
When you see localhost up there, you should know that it's truly an experiment! 😀
It's a dead-simple thread writer that will post a series of tweets a.k.a tweetstorm. ⚡️
I've been personally wanting it myself since few months ago, but neglected it intentionally to make sure it's something that I genuinely need.
So why is that important for me? 🙂
I've been a believer of a story. I tell stories all the time, whether it's in the real world or online like this. Our society has moved by that.
If you're interested by stories that move us, read Sapiens!
One of the stories that I've told was from the launch of Poster.
It's been launched multiple times this year, and Twitter has been my go-to place to tell the world about that.
Here comes my frustration.. 😤
Interestingly, this thread below has been written by that.
Let me show you how it looks like. 👇🏻
Recently I just refunded all Poster's sales from Gumroad. Being that said, I decided to not using that service anymore.
— Wilbert Liu \U0001f468\U0001f3fb\u200d\U0001f3a8 (@wilbertliu) November 19, 2018
Here's a little story \U0001f447\U0001f3fb
When you see localhost up there, you should know that it's truly an experiment! 😀
It's a dead-simple thread writer that will post a series of tweets a.k.a tweetstorm. ⚡️
I've been personally wanting it myself since few months ago, but neglected it intentionally to make sure it's something that I genuinely need.
So why is that important for me? 🙂
I've been a believer of a story. I tell stories all the time, whether it's in the real world or online like this. Our society has moved by that.
If you're interested by stories that move us, read Sapiens!
One of the stories that I've told was from the launch of Poster.
It's been launched multiple times this year, and Twitter has been my go-to place to tell the world about that.
Here comes my frustration.. 😤
Ok, I’ve told this story a few times, but maybe never here. Here we go. 🧵👇
I was about 6. I was in the car with my mother. We were driving a few hours from home to go to Orlando. My parents were letting me audition for a tv show. It would end up being my first job. I was very excited. But, in the meantime we drove and listened to Rush’s show.
There was some sort of trivia question they posed to the audience. I don’t remember what the riddle was, but I remember I knew the answer right away. It was phrased in this way that was somehow just simpler to see from a kid’s perspective. The answer was CAROUSEL. I was elated.
My mother was THRILLED. She insisted that we call Into the show using her “for emergencies only” giant cell phone. It was this phone:
I called in. The phone rang for a while, but someone answered. It was an impatient-sounding dude. The screener. I said I had the trivia answer. He wasn’t charmed, I could hear him rolling his eyes. He asked me what it was. I told him. “Please hold.”
Wish I had the audio of Rush Limbaugh telling me off on the phone on his show when I was six. In the meantime, RIP.
— Shannon Woodward (@shannonwoodward) February 17, 2021
I was about 6. I was in the car with my mother. We were driving a few hours from home to go to Orlando. My parents were letting me audition for a tv show. It would end up being my first job. I was very excited. But, in the meantime we drove and listened to Rush’s show.
There was some sort of trivia question they posed to the audience. I don’t remember what the riddle was, but I remember I knew the answer right away. It was phrased in this way that was somehow just simpler to see from a kid’s perspective. The answer was CAROUSEL. I was elated.
My mother was THRILLED. She insisted that we call Into the show using her “for emergencies only” giant cell phone. It was this phone:
I called in. The phone rang for a while, but someone answered. It was an impatient-sounding dude. The screener. I said I had the trivia answer. He wasn’t charmed, I could hear him rolling his eyes. He asked me what it was. I told him. “Please hold.”
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#ArudraDarisanam
Unique Natarajar made of emerlad is abt 6 feet tall.
It is always covered with sandal paste.Only on Thriuvadhirai Star in month Margazhi-Nataraja can be worshipped without sandal paste.
After removing the sandal paste,day long rituals & various abhishekam will be https://t.co/e1Ye8DrNWb day Maragatha Nataraja sannandhi will be closed after anointing the murthi with fresh sandal paste.Maragatha Natarajar is covered with sandal paste throughout the year
as Emerald has scientific property of its molecules getting disturbed when exposed to light/water/sound.This is an ancient Shiva temple considered to be 3000 years old -believed to be where Bhagwan Shiva gave Veda gyaana to Parvati Devi.This temple has some stunning sculptures.
