The Inquisitr - Latest Comments in What’s Twitter’s Real Motive for the API Cuts?

Re: What’s Twitter’s Real Motive for the API Cuts?

Chris Wright — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:47:58 -0000

Those people would probably be the same ones who kick the proverbial ass out of it.
I don't think they would ever charge for the basic twitter service, but it all depends on how 'premium' is defined (or what services would fall into that category).

Re: What’s Twitter’s Real Motive for the API Cuts?

angsuman — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:23:46 -0000

Absolutely. I simply don't get the business model relying on free services. After all nothing is really free and more so in today's market conditions.

Re: What’s Twitter’s Real Motive for the API Cuts?

centernetworks — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:37:13 -0000

i think a lot of people wouldn't pay for twitter, no matter what the cost/features are.

Re: What’s Twitter’s Real Motive for the API Cuts?

MK — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:08:49 -0000

Re: What’s Twitter’s Real Motive for the API Cuts?

MK — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:05:31 -0000

If Twitter starts charging for API throughput, especially if it decides on a corporate paying model for large services, will that then mean those services will also field pay-to-use models (and hasten to do so?) ?

Re: What’s Twitter’s Real Motive for the API Cuts?

Joost Schuur — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:26:02 -0000

Why would you multiply the number of requests per hour with the number of friends like you did in your example? 20 requests is still 20 requests with a single batch of responses back, no matter how many individual people responded during that time. Not everyone is going to update every time either.

You can't use desktop clients as an example and then in your next sentence say it doesn't apply to them.

Re: What’s Twitter’s Real Motive for the API Cuts?

Jonathan Nguyen — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:00:51 -0000

Consider this though Dunc:

Other startups have built on Twitter and are building business models around Twitter's resources. Perhaps they want Qwitter and TweetScan and all these other tools to pay for the interface or requests above 20,000. It would make sense. Commercially I think it's a good place to start monetisation. Why should twitter bear the burden for all these other tools that basically build on Twitter's success?

Thanks for the angle, I never would have thought it.

Re: What’s Twitter’s Real Motive for the API Cuts?

Adam Ostrow — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:47:09 -0000

interesting angle Duncan ... I think a lot of ppl would indeed pay a monthly/annual fee for premium Twitter services, especially with so many using it more or less as a marketing/branding tool. Limiting what the free apps can do would be a logical move to get to a place where they can charge people.

Re: What’s Twitter’s Real Motive for the API Cuts?

mathewballard — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:42:14 -0000

So, does this mean that TweetDeck may not be a viable tool anymore? If so, then I'm very angry.