[viraptor]

Zoom is popular. Enough that it's both the default for many people and the tech that gets brought up in discussions. My dance school uses zoom. My work uses zoom. Online courses use zoom. Maybe it's more noticeable when famous people mention it, but really - it's a default now. Even if there was some shady push for it, it's also organically massively popular.

[fock]

trying to download the (self-installing) app twice _every_ time, whilst you're (actively) trying to join a meeting in your browser is the kind of organic popularity the yahoo toolbar had...

[chatmasta]

Most people install the app and leave it installed.

[fock]

you don't say. That way (and autostarting and nagging) you easily get a lot of popularity compared to a web-service (with most people being unaware of bookmarking features in their browser). That was the operating principle of a lot of crappy ad/malware companies back then this was still considered an ethical businessmodel. Seems we are seeing time repeat itself.