Chris TrottierTwitter is killing free API access.
Will most devs pay for access? No thanks.
If what happened to 3rd party clients proves true, I have a feeling many devs will move their efforts to the Fediverse.
Killing free API access is an incredibly terrible business decision from Twitter.
1. It was once free
2. It’s main competitor (Mastodon) doesn’t just offer a free API, it’s open source
3. It’s also competing with ActivtyPub
Elon Musk is motivating the Fediverse ecosystem!
What Elon Musk doesn’t realize is that there’s a whole lot of devs who used Twitter’s API, not because of the network effect, but because it was a free API to build neat products upon.
Now you’ve removed the biggest motivation for actually using that API.
People still ask, “What if Twitter joins the Fediverse?”
A better question: with all the effort they’re putting in to destroy free Twitter API access, why would they want to join the Fediverse?
Elon Musk bought Twitter for the network effect. We know that.
Twitter’s actual technology is unimpressive, and the reason Mastodon is able to actually be a viable alternative is because it actually reached feature parity in *most* of the ways that matter.
But a network effect is only important insofar as people desire to use the tech.
What current Twitter doesn’t appreciate is that a free API is a mechanism that allows small projects to leap frog larger corporations.
Former Twitter knew that. It’s how they became Twitter.
Elon Musk is probably thinking, “What can Masodon do? They have a handful of employees.”
And that’s his undoing.
Other devs will build on Mastodon because the API is free—and Twitter’s isn’t anymore.
Frank Bennett 🇯🇵@atomicpoet The Twitter API has been used by disaster-notification bots, such as Japan's NERV system. If Twitter aspired to serve a public service role, it seems that's been abandoned.
Samir Al-Battran@atomicpoet
You don't need a lot of developers if you have an open API
You don't need a lot of infrastructure engineers if your platform is decentralized
You don't need BDRs if you don't sell ads
And don't ignore the collective wisdom of the developer community supporting you!
You don't need a lot of developers if you have an open API
You don't need a lot of infrastructure engineers if your platform is decentralized
You don't need BDRs if you don't sell ads
And don't ignore the collective wisdom of the developer community supporting you!
George Roberts 🇵🇸@atomicpoet I loved former twitter with the old Adobe Air Tweetdeck. Aesthetic and function were what I thought would be a "vision of the good future". There was a brief while when the F***book api was open and could be read through Tweetdeck. When FB shut down its apis and algorithmised the timeline I stuck with twitter. one of millions, I suspect. My anecdotal account supports your assertion.
Not a Spring Onion@atomicpoet
"What if Elon Musk buys the Fediverse?"
"I can't give you any meaningful answer except that your question is based on wrong preconditions."
Miredly@atomicpoet a half-finished art project built on that api got me the best job I've ever had, really sad to see them do us dirty like that
edgeoforever 🍎@atomicpoet tbh, he removed the network effect for the rest of us too.
Connected Places@atomicpoet By an large this is a pretty good thing and boost for the #fediverse. The one worry I have is that people will treat the Twitter API and Mastodon API as the same, without regard for how people here feel about scrapers. Think we will revisit the search/scraping/consent debate pretty regularly in the coming weeks and months.
Mikko Alasaarela@atomicpoet I agree. This is not even the first time Twitter is cutting off its APIs, so it has now betrayed its developers twice. I don't think there will be a third time, so the days of Twitter as a developer platform may be over.
Dean@atomicpoet that’s what he meant when he said it was for saving freedom of speech. Did he meant to kill Twitter all along?
maddie (MOVED!) 
@atomicpoet elon doesn't take mastodon seriously, he thinks it's not a threat despite it and the fediverse growing
Matthew 
(he/him)@mjdxp @atomicpoet I think he did blocks link to 3rd party spical media temporary which did include both Mastodon and Instagram. He reverse the change after the blacklash
luckysitsinbackwe're just lucky HE'S so fucking stoopid, too !!
John GordonThey will probably defer the cutoff but it’s fun to extrapolate on what this means.
Let’s assume Musk doesn’t care about Twitter the product. He bought the customer base. Those who remain are his addicts and he can ride them hard.
He cares about his Mars ambitions and Tesla and he wants the GOP in power (in return for space money and crushing his irritants).
Given that what we will have his addicts do? He will want them to use his payments scheme …
DaltonRoad@atomicpoet
sorry, but you say this like his other decisions make sense---
Twitter wasn't profitable before he bought it, they were surviving on cash flow from ad sales and that's the only thing allowing them to pay rent, pay employees and pay hosting fees... what does musk do week one? He alienates the advertisers and there goes the cash flow.
Granted his investor's goal has always been the death of twitter but still... he's not even trying to pretend that's not what he's doing.