Ask HN: Which IM is able to export chat like email?

1 points by bythckr 6y ago ↗ HN

At work, I do main communications (LPO) via email. Rest day to day is done via Whatsapp. It includes text, voice messages, map location & images(deliver notes). One of those orders has an issue and now its escalated to legal issue. Thats when the lawyers wanted me to give full communication.

When I tried to export the complete chat, it only gave the text in ".txt" file and rest of media. Not in a presentable form, like an HTML with all media embedded. Then I has to open it in web mode and take screen shots in A4 size and its a 30 page thick. The whole process was just messy. I could not find a better way.

I realize that whatsappp being proprietary and there are limits. Email is not convenient for quick & short communications.

Telegram & Signal have no option to even export. What are my options?

5 comments

[ 3.1 ms ] story [ 18.5 ms ] thread

krishna0512 6y ago ↗

Try using slack. As I understand it had an option to export the chats of a workspace.

bythckr 6y ago ↗

Never used Slack. Shall try it out.

verdverm 6y ago ↗

I'm on Google Fi / Hangouts. I can text from computer or phone, search conversation history from Gmail.

bythckr 6y ago ↗

Google is not reliable in terms of chat apps. Its just a matter of time before they kill hangout also over night. I wish they are as committed to IM as email. Everyone in my circle used Gmail and it will be great if IM also happens on Google, so by checking the email address, I can see all correspondences.

Also if Microsoft made it possible to search Skype messages from Hotmail/Outlook.

verdverm 6y ago ↗

Been using Hangouts for almost a decade, seems pretty reliable to me. Not so sure your conviction about its demise is warranted