2023 SEPTEMBER 14 TECHNOLOGY
Slack Is Basically Facebook Now
Slack’s redesign suggests that keeping up with Slack is the only work worth doing.
By Ian Bogost
image...
Illustration of an office worker with an emoji-selection interface covering his head
Illustration by Jared Bartman / The Atlantic. Source: Getty.
“Oh,” I slacked my Atlantic colleagues earlier this week, beneath a screenshot of a pop-up note that Slack, the group-chat software we use, had presented to me moments earlier. “A fresh, more focused Slack,” it promised, or threatened. On my screen, the program’s interface was suddenly a Grimace-purple color. I sensed doom in this software update.
Slowly, over the days that followed, complaints about the new Slack started trickling into our chats. “folks I cannot handle this new version of slack and will be taking the rest of the month off,” one Atlantic staffer said. “I am reverting to sending physical memos on personal letterhead,” posted another. “all my slacks are: I hate the new slack,” slacked Adrienne LaFrance, the magazine’s executive editor. (Later on, she messaged me separately to see if I would write about Slack’s terrible new format.)
Ian Bogost is a contributing writer at The Atlantic.
the collapse of big tech is going to be an interesting watch. seems like every day they’re getting more callous, greedy, overstepping any reasonable bounds…
None of that is new to Slack. They could’ve written an article to make a decent critique of the questionable UI changes Slack introduced, but instead they targeted features that were already there for years, like reactions and huddle.
The new interface just wastes space and hides the notification count of unfocused workspaces. I just wish Slack would start making interface changes like these optional.
I’d my work removed slack I am legitimately unsure how I’d communicate with my team at all. During meetings only, in tickets and in github reviews. Nice and clinical. Nah, I’ll keep slack ty
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This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Nah, Facebook is a lot worse in many ways. Slack is actually usable and obeys the law.
Is this article paywalled ?
2023 SEPTEMBER 14 TECHNOLOGY
Slack Is Basically Facebook Now
Slack’s redesign suggests that keeping up with Slack is the only work worth doing.
By Ian Bogost
image...
Illustration of an office worker with an emoji-selection interface covering his head Illustration by Jared Bartman / The Atlantic. Source: Getty.
Ian Bogost is a contributing writer at The Atlantic.
I remember suggesting using slack to one of my superiors and they’re like, “What’s Slack?”
the collapse of big tech is going to be an interesting watch. seems like every day they’re getting more callous, greedy, overstepping any reasonable bounds…
None of that is new to Slack. They could’ve written an article to make a decent critique of the questionable UI changes Slack introduced, but instead they targeted features that were already there for years, like reactions and huddle.
The new interface just wastes space and hides the notification count of unfocused workspaces. I just wish Slack would start making interface changes like these optional.
no paywall
✅paywall ✅clickbait title
I’m sure the article makes many salient points.
Gotcha!
Every app just copies other apps until they don’t do the thing they were originally “for”.
& then what’s left is an app that does “everything” very poorly.
& this is our whole reality now.
How do we escape?
I’d my work removed slack I am legitimately unsure how I’d communicate with my team at all. During meetings only, in tickets and in github reviews. Nice and clinical. Nah, I’ll keep slack ty