The Api Paradox

#1

Post by DanielRibeiro » Thu, Apr 11, 2013, 7:36 AM UTC

Re: The Api Paradox

#2

Post by brazzy » Thu, Apr 11, 2013, 8:12 AM UTC

Can we please, pretty please with a cherry on top invent a new word for "public-facing official API that exposes some of a company's core services"?

Because I get annoyed every time someone uses "APIs" to make general statements while assuming that specific narrow meaning.

Re: The Api Paradox

#3

Post by richardjordan » Thu, Apr 11, 2013, 8:19 AM UTC

The key is I distinguish between an API which IS the business - something like a Twilio for example - and an API which lets you leverage a business's other assets in a way that might one day be cut off - like a Twitter.

You are safe to build on top of something like Twilio because the service is the API and API consumers are the customers. Consumers of Twitter's API are not customers of Twitter and should not be surprised Teotter does not treat them as such.

You are either the customer or the product. If you are neither you are in a precarious position.

Re: The Api Paradox

#4

Post by etfb » Thu, Apr 11, 2013, 8:26 AM UTC

    s/Api\'s/APIs/g
    s/Api/API/g

I know it's nitpicky, but the error makes it painful to read the article. Obviously I'm blaming nobody, and to judge from his name the author is probably fluent in more languages than me. But it's a user-friendliness thing. It would help.

Re: The Api Paradox

#5

Post by jacquesm » Thu, Apr 11, 2013, 8:28 AM UTC

etfb wrote: post #4

s/Api\'s/APIs/g s/Api/API/g I know it's nitpicky, but the error makes it painful to read the article. Obviously I'm blaming nobody, and to judge from his name the author is probably fluent in more languages than me. But it's a user-friendliness thing. It would help.

Thanks, I'll fix those.

Ok, fixed. Have an upvote :) & thanks again!

Re: The Api Paradox

#6

Post by johns » Thu, Apr 11, 2013, 8:42 AM UTC

brazzy wrote: post #2

Can we please, pretty please with a cherry on top invent a new word for "public-facing official API that exposes some of a company's core services"? Because I get annoyed every time someone uses "APIs" to make general statements while assuming that specific narrow meaning.

I think that ship has sailed.

Re: The Api Paradox

#7

Post by johns » Thu, Apr 11, 2013, 8:47 AM UTC

I don't think the age of the company matters much. Incentives can be aligned/misaligned at any age. I wrote a similar post not that long ago that argues many of the same points (albeit with a more incendiary title) http://thenextweb.com/dd/2013/03/12/apis-are-dead-long-live-...

Re: The Api Paradox

#8

Post by entropy_ » Thu, Apr 11, 2013, 8:48 AM UTC

etfb wrote: post #4

s/Api\'s/APIs/g s/Api/API/g I know it's nitpicky, but the error makes it painful to read the article. Obviously I'm blaming nobody, and to judge from his name the author is probably fluent in more languages than me. But it's a user-friendliness thing. It would help.

English is my third language(after Arabic and French) and that was still annoying to me. I know it's a nitpick, but I can't help being bothered by misplaced apostrophes.

Props to the author for fixing it so quickly.

Re: The Api Paradox

#9

Post by pjmlp » Thu, Apr 11, 2013, 8:51 AM UTC

When are we going to stop calling API to web services?

It always comes to my mind operating system API when I read such titles.

Re: The Api Paradox

#10

Post by thebuccaneer » Thu, Apr 11, 2013, 8:52 AM UTC

this begs for a 'no s--t sherlock' comment