I think it depends on why you are making the API. If the intent is to publicize your business by letting other programmers integrate their app/website with you

I think it depends on why you are making the API. If the intent is to publicize your business by letting other programmers integrate their app/website with your service then I agree with designing an "API" that way. Because you don't want people to do with your API things you didn't intend them to do. If the intent is to give other programmers the ability to work with your data and create their own thing using your service then the API need to be more flexible and be able to give more freedom possible to the users.