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What Happens When A Twitter Client Hits The Token Limit

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Re: What Happens When A Twitter Client Hits The Token Limit

#111

Post by hullo »

jmilloy wrote: post #85

Twitter: Don't build core-feature Twitter clients, we probably won't approve them. Atta: I built a core-feature Twitter client! Twitter: Sorry, we're not approving your core-feature Twitter client. Who is surprised? How is this news? Were you expecting them to not apply their own rules? It seems like a clear-cut case, and concluding "don't build anything for Twitter" is just throwing a temper tantrum.

While I certainly don't think that twitter has handled the developer ecosystem very well, this is absolutely on point. They said not to do this, he did it, they did what they said they would.

I will add that, if the developer had made five dollars on each sale, he or she would now have a half million dollars, but I'm assuming they didn't, as the story is pitched as a tragedy rather than a triumph.

Re: What Happens When A Twitter Client Hits The Token Limit

#112

Post by CamperBob2 »

ianstallings wrote: post #89
swombat wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What's wrong with using the twitter.com on Windows8, do we really need a special client just for Windows 8? This is exactly what the web is supposed to do. Emphasis on "supposed". It doesn't always do it, and definitely never to everyone's taste. Hence the custom clients. > I don't get anyone is surprised, it's Twitter's ecosystem and if you're duplicating their functionality then it's perfectly reasonable of them…

That's all well and good but what do you tell the investors that just gave you millions in order to get returns if you are twitter? That you can't monetize because you gotta be a nice guy and keep giving it all away for free? That will not go over well obviously.

You explain the risks accurately and truthfully to your investors, making absolutely sure that they understand those risks before you take a dime from them. Explain that Twitter has a history of behaving in ways that aren't in anyone's interest including their own, and how this leaves them even more vulnerable to disruption by the Next Big Thing than most social-networking hubs are.

People with large amounts of money rarely get that way by sharecropping for companies like Twitter, so it may not be as big a problem as you fear.

Re: What Happens When A Twitter Client Hits The Token Limit

#113

Post by ableal »

jbail wrote: post #66
jusben1369 wrote: post #62

I've watched this from a distance with interest. Developers have a special place within the overall Internet ecosystem. As a non developer, everything Twitter has said and done in the last 12 months or more tells me "We don't need a healthy 3rd party ecosystem and we don't want one. Hobbysits can stay filling odd niche requirements and here's our cap. Everyone else though? Sorry" I have no emotion around this as I'm…

I think "over exaggerated sense of self importance" is far from the crux of this issue. Developers are pissed off at Twitter for two main reasons: 1) Developers helped build Twitter as it exists today. With their hard work, sleepless nights and toil, they created the ecosystem that allowed Twitter to grow into the giant they are today. Now that Twitter is big, they are saying thank you by more or less shutting down t…

> Developers helped build Twitter

There were warnings about the fate of sharecroppers well before Twitter existed: http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2003/07/12/WebsThePla...

Quote: "It’s a lousy position to be in, because you’re never going to make much, and if the land’s owner finds something better to do with the land, you’re history."

Re: What Happens When A Twitter Client Hits The Token Limit

#114

Post by nicholassmith »

Argorak wrote: post #108
pdenya wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know if anyone is surprised by the response as much as disappointed. I've seen the news that twitter is limiting api clients but I haven't seen news of them denying someone who reached that limit more keys. I clicked this wondering what was going to happen with Tweetbot for mac when it hits the same limit and now I know. Maybe the "Don't build anything for Twitter" thing is a little heavy handed but the fact…

Its not heavy-handed. Twitter has shown repeatedly that they have no problem with: a) changing the rules of the game and b) leaving you in the dark of what the actual rules _are_ Make business with people that care about your business. Twitter clearly doesn't.

Twitter was quite happy to sit and watch as people built fantastic services and tools on the service that without a doubt increased engagement, then sort of went "oh shit we need to make some money" and proceeded to piss on the bonfire 3rd party developers have created. It's even handed for Twitter and heavy handed for people that expect rationality from a company.

Re: What Happens When A Twitter Client Hits The Token Limit

#115

Post by zaidf »

The problem with core-twitter limitation is that twitter's own product sucks and has basic features missing or implemented very poorly...years after launch.

This is just shitty all around. Sometimes I wish I could buy 1,000 twitter tokens for some price and use it in some "core-feature" 3rd party app because twitter sucks at implementing the very core features.

Re: What Happens When A Twitter Client Hits The Token Limit

#116

Post by dchuk »

arscan wrote: post #98
jcromartie wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about "don't build your business on a free service's platform".

Free? Free to whom? Twitter charges some users, but doesn't charge others. The same could be said about just about every platform out there. I don't think that's particularly useful advice, because I don't know what you mean by free (is Android free? what about network tv? what about the road systems?).

Twitter's API is free for API consumers...

Re: What Happens When A Twitter Client Hits The Token Limit

#117

Post by schiffern »

ianstallings wrote: post #87

Wait, you mean you can't just wrap someone's service in a fancy UI and then sell it as your own? OH THE HUMANITY! What happened to innovation? All I see these days is a derivative of a derivative of a derivative. Hell even the memes these days are derived from other memes.

>just wrap someone's service in a fancy UI

I thought we got over the "no value in UIs" bias when Apple made more money than some small countries.

>then sell it as your own

1) Tweetro doesn't say "look at this great real-time messaging service we made!" They built a UI. That's their value proposition.

2) Less importantly, Tweetro is free.

>All I see these days is a derivative of a derivative of a derivative.

How is that uniquely "these days"?

Re: What Happens When A Twitter Client Hits The Token Limit

#118

Post by robryan »

jcromartie wrote: post #49
Pewpewarrows wrote: post #2

If my salary depended on the Twitter API right now I'd be scared shitless.

If your salary ever depends on a completely free service's API, then you may be scared shitless, but you've also usually made a bad choice.

Unfortunately they don't give you the option to pay to get around it though.

Re: What Happens When A Twitter Client Hits The Token Limit

#119

Post by EGreg »

CamperBob2 wrote: post #112
ianstallings wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's all well and good but what do you tell the investors that just gave you millions in order to get returns if you are twitter? That you can't monetize because you gotta be a nice guy and keep giving it all away for free? That will not go over well obviously.

You explain the risks accurately and truthfully to your investors, making absolutely sure that they understand those risks before you take a dime from them. Explain that Twitter has a history of behaving in ways that aren't in anyone's interest including their own, and how this leaves them even more vulnerable to disruption by the Next Big Thing than most social-networking hubs are. People with large amounts of money…

I am pretty sure the investors are aware that twitter has taken this approach, and can anticipate that some of the reaction to it will be along these lines, and yet the board decided to go ahead.

Re: What Happens When A Twitter Client Hits The Token Limit

#120

Post by nollidge »

wmf wrote: post #44
Skroob wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because their customers are advertisers, and their users are people who follow Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber. It's not the same service as it was when it started, when the API was important to them.

If Twitter charged to send tweets (like Facebook is now doing) then they wouldn't need to crack down on third-party clients.

> If Twitter charged to send tweets (like Facebook is now doing)

How's that working out for Facebook?

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