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Website APIs tend to sprout "API key" requirements with little or no notice, which seem like a terrible idea. This kind of breakage is far less likely to happe
by octoberfranklin 5y ago
Website APIs tend to sprout "API key" requirements with little or no notice, which seem like a terrible idea. This kind of breakage is far less likely to happen to the HTML endpoint, because it gets about a zillion times more usage.
It is actually sensible to stick to the interface that the majority of users are using, because that interface is the least likely to break. Spontaneous API key hoop-jumping is a form of breakage.
- martneumann 5y agoAre you saying that it's more likely API key requirements appear at some point than the interface changing? I'm not that informed, but intuitively, I'd doubt that.
- howenterprisey 5y agoAs someone who's reasonably informed on this stuff, I would be absolutely shocked if Wikipedia ever introduced that requirement.
- samatman 5y agoThis is an example of good (well, ok) general advice, which absolutely does not apply to this specific instance. As general advice it's only ok, because a) the details of served HTML can change a great deal and b) some APIs might have this problem, some are unlikely to. Wikipedia is an extreme example of the latter.