[kartickv]

Sad to see so many comments that seem like knee-jerk or one-sided criticism. I expected better from Hacker News.

Sure, point out flaws in something, like the centralised nature, but only after recognising its benefits.

For example, not having to download umpteen apps and juggle umpteen accounts and enter your credit card everywhere is a big plus. I just want to make an appointment with the doctor without researching which app to install for that purpose, choosing between multiple apps, creating a user name and password, giving my credit card (which I wouldn't give to an unknown app) and so on. It certainly has downsides, but advantages as well.

Often, I care about getting the job done, not about researching and finding the best app to make an appointment. Even if the centralised decision-maker (WeChat) chose a second-best app, using the second-best app to book an appointment beats booking the appointment on phone because I couldn't bother to research between multiple apps in an open ecosystem. Sometimes, a good enough default beats choice.

Again, pros and cons. Let's recognise both. Since many of the other posters have pointed out (valid) criticisms, I've focused on the other side of the coin.