Title: Why does QQ cancel handwriting? ——The game between user habits and technological evolution
Recently, the news that QQ has canceled the handwriting input function has triggered heated discussions among users. As a national-level social software with a history of 20 years, every functional adjustment of QQ affects the experience of hundreds of millions of users. This article will start from hot topics across the Internet and combine it with the logic behind the functional changes of structured data analysis.
1. Data observation of hot topics across the entire network (last 10 days)
| platform | Related topics | amount of discussion | Proportion of core opinions |
|---|---|---|---|
| #QQ cancel handwriting function# | 286,000 | Opposition 62% | |
| Zhihu | "How to evaluate QQ offline handwriting input" | 12,000 answers | Technical analysis 54% |
| Station B | Comparative evaluation of handwriting input methods | 890,000 views | The usage rate among those born after 00 is only 3.7% |
2. Three core reasons for feature cancellation
1.Changes in user behavior:According to Tencent's internal data, the monthly active users of QQ's handwriting function will account for less than 0.3% in 2023, and the usage rate of users under 30 years old will be less than 0.1%. Voice input (an average of 1.2 billion calls per day) and intelligent predictive input (92% coverage) have become mainstream.
2.Technical maintenance costs:The handwriting engine needs to continuously maintain multiple sets of recognition systems (including traditional Chinese characters, special symbols, etc.), which costs about 8 million in server costs every year, but the error rate is still as high as 15% (the keyboard input error rate is only 2%).
| Input method | Recognition accuracy | Response speed | User satisfaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handwriting input | 85% | 1.2 seconds | 68 points |
| keyboard input | 98% | 0.3 seconds | 91 points |
3.Product strategy adjustment:QQ is transforming into a "lightweight social network", and a total of 17 low-frequency functions have been offline in 2023. An interview with a product manager revealed: "Retaining every feature requires an opportunity cost. We must focus on the core needs of Generation Z."
3. Polarization of user feedback
1.Opposing groups (accounting for about 37%):Mainly users over 40 years old. Typical comments include: "Teach your parents to rely on handwriting when using QQ" and "Calligraphy enthusiasts have lost their creative tools." Some users launched a #KeepHandwritingFunction joint campaign, which has so far collected 23,000 signatures.
2.Supporting groups (accounting for about 58%):Young users generally believe: "It's long overdue to streamline" and "it's better to optimize speech to text". The evaluation video of technology blogger @digitalcat shows that the third-party handwriting input method has completely surpassed QQ’s built-in solution in terms of recognition rate and feature richness.
4. Comparison of industry alternatives
| solution | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| The system comes with input method | No download required, supports multiple languages | Functions are more basic |
| Third-party professional input method | AI handwriting prediction, pressure sensitivity support | There are privacy risks |
| Screenshot to text tool | Preserve the original appearance of writing | The operation process is cumbersome |
5. Forecast of future evolution trends
1.Technology integration:The head input method has begun testing the "AI simulated handwriting" function. After users type text, it can be automatically converted into handwriting of a specified style, which not only retains writing warmth but also improves efficiency.
2.Scenario return:Vertical fields such as education and government affairs may retain professional handwriting solutions. For example, in the latest enterprise version of DingTalk, it has enhanced the handwritten annotation function to meet professional needs such as contract signing.
3.Generational replacement:As users born in the 50s and 60s gradually fade away from social software, the demand for handwriting input may naturally die out after 2025. A report from Tencent Research Institute shows that voice accounts for 41% of text input among post-00s users.
This controversy over the handwriting function is essentially a collision between technological evolution and humanistic sentiments. When we say goodbye to an input method, we may also say goodbye to an era that requires slow writing. But history has always been like this - when coachmen protested against cars, they did not think about the future of self-driving.
check the details
check the details
en
