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Facebook To Shred 'Paper' News-Reading App On July 29th (theverge.com)
An anonymous reader writes from a report via The Verge: Facebook's Paper app for iOS is scheduled to shut down on July 29th. While the app impressed critics, it failed to impress the general public. The Verge reports: "The app transformed the core Facebook experience into a kind of newsreader, with customizable sections for politics, technology, food, and other subjects. When it was introduced in January 2014, Paper signaled the beginning of a design renaissance at Facebook. The look and feel of the app were orchestrated by Mike Matas, whose design firm Push Pop Press was acquired by Facebook in 2011. Paper was notable for the novel animations it used to guide you through the app -- tap on a link and it would unfold like a letter; pull down on the story and it would fold back up, returning you to the feed. But despite the enormous growth of Facebook, which surged to 1.09 billion daily users this year, Paper has not been among the 1,500 most-downloaded apps since December 2014, according to research firm App Annie. It never came to Android, and the iOS version was last updated in March 2015. Facebook says that ideas from Paper have made their way into other Facebook apps, most notably Instant Articles, the fast-loading story format that the company introduced last year. Instant Articles borrowed several design elements from Paper, including full-bleed images and custom designs for individual publishers' articles."
I forgot that app was still around.
Facebook relentlessly feed me Instagram ads and crappy games updates from grandma even if I fucking block them all when possible. This news thing would be something I like and yet I first knew about it when they pull the plug. Talk about misguided marketing. Not everyone on Facebook still lives with parents and like Justin Bieber.
"Never came to Android" explains a lot.
1.09 billion daily users? Or registered users?
Their marketing team probably says "daily users" but reality probably says "registered users." Like a deleted AC post already said, the first I hear about this feature is when they pull the plug. Such lousy marketing is one reason so many "daily users" are becoming merely "registered users."
novel animations it used to guide you through the app -- tap on a link and it would unfold like a letter; pull down on the story and it would fold back up, returning you to the feed.
Maybe a little animated paper clip would have made it more successful. Or maybe users just don't want crap like that wasting their time.
...meanwhile media should stop unquestioningly parroting the worthless garbage numbers(like this "1.09 billion daily users") they spout out...
While I [largely] agree with your statement, let me say the following: -
Perhaps it would be better if you provided some authoritative figure(s) you think Facebook's daily users are. How about that?
Facebook doesn't shut down on July 29. Fuck, be even better if it had shut down on June 29
Paper was my way to avoid installing Messenger.
As one of those 1.09 billion users (not daily, but I do not use the Facebook app), I think the real reason behind the killing of the product was that they clearly could not monetize it. Paper has no ads. All I get are posts from my friends and family that I can easily swipe between. I oftentimes forgot there was a News/Headlines section. It was a brilliant way of reading Facebook without all the adds, in line videos, sidebar crap that populates the website now (and I use adblockers). Oh well, it was fun while it lasted, I suppose. =\
long time lurker, rare poster
Paper is (was) perfectly designed for a handheld, it couldn't be crammed full of ads.
No ads!
That's why they're killing it. I doubt anyone can convince me otherwise.