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Twitter replaces its free API with a paid tier in quest to make more money

mjmsmith 4y ago
Presumably this hits tools like Movetodon [1] that use the API to match Twitter accounts with Mastodon accounts. [1] https://www.movetodon.org https://www.movetodon.org
mindcrime 4y ago
This strikes me as very likely the Wrong Move here. Having a free tier that easily be used by, eg, open source client apps, etc. is - IMO - essential for Twitter. OTOH, what I always thought they should do is radically democratize access - PAID access - to the API at higher usage levels, including the "firehose" level (everything). For years Twitter had this thing going on where it was more or less impossible to get firehose access, even if you were willing to pay. That always struck me as self-defeating.
rvz 4y ago
Predictable and totally unsurprising. [0] [1] No service is 100% free forever. It is time for third-party developers to pay for the Twitter API. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34397302 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34397302 [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34386745 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34386745
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- onion2k 4y ago
  No service is 100% free forever. When is Google going to start changing for its search page? Never. It's going to be free forever, supported by ads. Twitter was going to be the same.
- mindcrime 4y ago
  I agree to a point. I always thought Twitter should have done a better job of monetizing their API. I just thought the approach they took was wrong. And I do think there should be some level of free access at the low-end. I don't see why they can't have a progressive / tiered system that starts at "free" and goes up incrementally to "expensive", where anybody who wants any level can have it as long as they're willing to pay.
cmckn 4y ago
Announcing this with one week notice while failing to include pricing details is just sloppy — or, “hardcore,” I suppose.
- angulardragon03 4y ago
  I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they haven’t decided on the pricing. We may even get to see price negotiations out in the open (again…)
riffic 4y ago
lol dumb. find Twitter here soon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_social_networking_services https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_social_network...
- not_a_shill 4y ago
  Shouldn't Mastadon be on there from day 1 then?
  - riffic 4y ago
    Mastodon and the ActivityPub ecosystem are by their very nature unable to go defunct. Nice attempt to troll though.
    - not_a_shill 4y ago
      Good point. There should be an article that has a list of virtually defunct social networks.
replwoacause 4y ago
I have to say, Elon musk does not seem like a very good businessman.

Presumably this hits tools like Movetodon [1] that use the API to match Twitter accounts with Mastodon accounts. [1] https://www.movetodon.org https://www.movetodon.org

mindcrime 4y ago

This strikes me as very likely the Wrong Move here. Having a free tier that easily be used by, eg, open source client apps, etc. is - IMO - essential for Twitter. OTOH, what I always thought they should do is radically democratize access - PAID access - to the API at higher usage levels, including the "firehose" level (everything). For years Twitter had this thing going on where it was more or less impossible to get firehose access, even if you were willing to pay. That always struck me as self-defeating.

rvz 4y ago

Predictable and totally unsurprising. [0] [1] No service is 100% free forever. It is time for third-party developers to pay for the Twitter API. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34397302 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34397302 [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34386745 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34386745

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
onion2k 4y ago
No service is 100% free forever. When is Google going to start changing for its search page? Never. It's going to be free forever, supported by ads. Twitter was going to be the same.
mindcrime 4y ago
I agree to a point. I always thought Twitter should have done a better job of monetizing their API. I just thought the approach they took was wrong. And I do think there should be some level of free access at the low-end. I don't see why they can't have a progressive / tiered system that starts at "free" and goes up incrementally to "expensive", where anybody who wants any level can have it as long as they're willing to pay.

cmckn 4y ago

Announcing this with one week notice while failing to include pricing details is just sloppy — or, “hardcore,” I suppose.

angulardragon03 4y ago
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they haven’t decided on the pricing. We may even get to see price negotiations out in the open (again…)

riffic 4y ago

lol dumb. find Twitter here soon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_social_networking_services https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_social_network...

not_a_shill 4y ago
Shouldn't Mastadon be on there from day 1 then?
- riffic 4y ago
  Mastodon and the ActivityPub ecosystem are by their very nature unable to go defunct. Nice attempt to troll though.
  - not_a_shill 4y ago
    Good point. There should be an article that has a list of virtually defunct social networks.

replwoacause 4y ago

I have to say, Elon musk does not seem like a very good businessman.