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Favstar will shut down as a result of Twitter’s API changes for data streams

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Re: Favstar will shut down as a result of Twitter’s API changes for data streams

#51
post #47

I have no clue why you'd build an app on Twitter's API anymore. I get it from their perspective (they want to control the ecosystem completely), however they've made it clear they don't care about anyone developing on them. Which is sad, since they only exist thanks to their early community of developers. I can't believe they killed off their MacOS Twitter app, told people to use third-party apps, and now are effecti…

A follow on from this question is why you’d ever build a company based entirely on analyzing data from another company. Best and worst case scenarios: * you do something amazing, and start making money. So your source company turns off your access to the data and makes there own version * you never make enough money for them to care/notice you. They remove the source of data for non-competition related reasons/accide…

The article explicitly said it was "bootstrapped" - ie not dependent on outside investors.

If I had a great idea for software that I could do on my own with the only investments being my time + some AWS resources where hopefully I could make enough money to pay myself a decent wage and pay for the operating expenses, why not ride the wave, make some money and when the bottom falls out, shut down the AWS resources, close shop, throw it on your resume and get job.

Re: Favstar will shut down as a result of Twitter’s API changes for data streams

#52
post #19

I started to use third-party twitter clients exclusively because of the annoying timeline manipulation. Now this. Is there any other way around other than quitting twitter ?

Instead of following people, add them to a list. You get a sequential feed of tweets from everybody in the list, and no ads. Works across all official Twitter clients, no need to worry about API restrictions or token limits.

Re: Favstar will shut down as a result of Twitter’s API changes for data streams

#53
post #4

I deleted my twitter account a while ago but this is a new level of forgetting history. If I remember correctly Twitterrific/Iconfactory were the first folks to actually use the verb 'tweet', and absolutely provided the first iteration of the interface to twitter that we all expect today. It took acquiring Tweetie, which literally invented 'pull to refresh', before they had their own native app 3 years after Twitterr…

You're absolutely correct re: the history. Twitterrific not only came up with the word "tweet," they were the first one with a blue bird logo! Twitter basically encouraged a third-party ecosystem to blossom, then decided that rather than finding ways to monetize that ecosystem, they should start slowly strangling it to death. I can't imagine that this is happening because investors are insisting on it; yes, they want…

The thing I was talking about was that around the time of Twitter's IPO (I don't remember the exact timeline) Twitter announced changes and limitations to 3rd party clients, including a 100k user maximum via a hard token limit[0].

Investors didn't say "knife the indies" but they certainly said "monetize, monetize, monetize" and Twitter decided the way to "monetize" was to force users into channels that had ads.

Sure, nobody ever told Twitter to go after Tweetbot, but it's not like anybody on the board said "wait a minute..." when this was the direction they announced in 2012. I'm lamenting the tail end of a strategy that started 6 years ago.

[0] https://www.androidauthority.com/falcon-pro-costs-132-161680...

Re: Favstar will shut down as a result of Twitter’s API changes for data streams

#54
I don't understand what Twitter is doing, I think they arguably have one of the most valuable social tools on the planet in terms of real time information and news, more than Facebook, more than Google...but they don't seem to understand what they have, how useful it can be in rich API forms, etc. It's baffling. They are hostile to their developers and to their userbase all in some weird chase to be Facebook. The one and only good move Twitter has made recently is teaming up with Bloomberg...but even that has been a botched a bit.

IMO Jack has to go, he seems to understand Square, but he seems very very out of touch with Twitter.

Re: Favstar will shut down as a result of Twitter’s API changes for data streams

#55

I have no clue why you'd build an app on Twitter's API anymore. I get it from their perspective (they want to control the ecosystem completely), however they've made it clear they don't care about anyone developing on them. Which is sad, since they only exist thanks to their early community of developers. I can't believe they killed off their MacOS Twitter app, told people to use third-party apps, and now are effecti…

They killed off the Windows Twitter app a few weeks ago too, replaced it with an iFrame to www.twitter.com I really don't understand why a social media site so large and influential is spending so little on their own product. Twitter won't let anyone develop any clients, but Twitter itself won't develop any clients either. Twitter acts like they wished no one would log in at all, they act like they're just waiting to…

And they have over 3000 employees. It's quite a mystery to me what all those people could possibly be doing.

Re: Favstar will shut down as a result of Twitter’s API changes for data streams

#56
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, if they had a decent app I wouldn’t worry, but why they offer can’t be compared to Tweetbot and others.

What don't you like about the official apps? The iPhone one is good and performant.

I switched away from the official app to get away from the "algos" that keep surfacing content that's either old or I'm not following. No I didn't miss those tweets, and I don't care what someone else liked.

Stop turning Twitter into Facebook! I'm sure it increases your engagement metrics, but at some point I'll feel overengaged, realize how much time I'm wasting and quit the app completely.

Re: Favstar will shut down as a result of Twitter’s API changes for data streams

#57
post #47

I have no clue why you'd build an app on Twitter's API anymore. I get it from their perspective (they want to control the ecosystem completely), however they've made it clear they don't care about anyone developing on them. Which is sad, since they only exist thanks to their early community of developers. I can't believe they killed off their MacOS Twitter app, told people to use third-party apps, and now are effecti…

A follow on from this question is why you’d ever build a company based entirely on analyzing data from another company. Best and worst case scenarios: * you do something amazing, and start making money. So your source company turns off your access to the data and makes there own version * you never make enough money for them to care/notice you. They remove the source of data for non-competition related reasons/accide…

In what way is that a best case scenario? It's just a scenario.

Re: Favstar will shut down as a result of Twitter’s API changes for data streams

#58

I have no clue why you'd build an app on Twitter's API anymore. I get it from their perspective (they want to control the ecosystem completely), however they've made it clear they don't care about anyone developing on them. Which is sad, since they only exist thanks to their early community of developers. I can't believe they killed off their MacOS Twitter app, told people to use third-party apps, and now are effecti…

They killed off the Windows Twitter app a few weeks ago too, replaced it with an iFrame to www.twitter.com I really don't understand why a social media site so large and influential is spending so little on their own product. Twitter won't let anyone develop any clients, but Twitter itself won't develop any clients either. Twitter acts like they wished no one would log in at all, they act like they're just waiting to…

desperate times call for desperate measures:

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/TWTR/financials?p=TWTR

https://twitter.com/charliebilello/status/989610534801637382

Re: Favstar will shut down as a result of Twitter’s API changes for data streams

#59
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They killed off the Windows Twitter app a few weeks ago too, replaced it with an iFrame to www.twitter.com I really don't understand why a social media site so large and influential is spending so little on their own product. Twitter won't let anyone develop any clients, but Twitter itself won't develop any clients either. Twitter acts like they wished no one would log in at all, they act like they're just waiting to…

And they have over 3000 employees. It's quite a mystery to me what all those people could possibly be doing.

Making more buttons into the retweet button.

Re: Favstar will shut down as a result of Twitter’s API changes for data streams

#60
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They killed off the Windows Twitter app a few weeks ago too, replaced it with an iFrame to www.twitter.com I really don't understand why a social media site so large and influential is spending so little on their own product. Twitter won't let anyone develop any clients, but Twitter itself won't develop any clients either. Twitter acts like they wished no one would log in at all, they act like they're just waiting to…

I really don't understand why a social media site so large and influential is spending so little on their own product. These companies hire the best of the best. QED.

Given the spam and abuse situation going on the platform I really doubt it.
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