> If you need to force people to use alternatives it's because they are not much better to begin with.
This isn't necessarily true - that's basically the problem with monopolies and the point of anti-trust. The network effect really can entrench an inferior product.
That's not a useful definition of better though. WhatsApp, Messenger, etc. are better because they're reliable and the people I want to talk to use them.
MMS messages are hot garbage but they're still better than a lot of alternatives because everyone with a phone can receive them.
