I've noticed some complaints about Discord transitioning to a controversial authentication service that has a reputation for mishandling user data, and it got me thinking. If a company did decide to create a competitor to Discord that prioritizes user safety and doesn't engage in questionable practices, what's stopping them? Assuming they create a chat platform similar in functionality but completely unique in design and code, would they face issues because of user loyalty to Discord? Is copyright a barrier here, or is it more about Discord's unique technology? I'm relatively new to app development, so I'm curious why we don't see more alternatives in this space.
1 Answer
Getting users to switch is definitely a major hurdle. Discord isn't the only option out there, yet many similar platforms existed even before it, like Mumble and Teamspeak. They're just not as widely adopted because of the existing user base.
I kind of figured that was the case. Many thanks for your response!