Twitter Tightens API Guidelines

Twitter APIs are up in arms about Twitter’ new Rules of the Road for APIs. Essentially, the company has tightened the grip on similar apps that rival its branded one. Though many people are upset, even beginning an #OccupyTwitter protest forum, some are understanding of the limitations. One of these is the CEO of TweetBot, Paul Haddad said, “The sky is not falling,” explaining that though he wishes there was no cap, that the “current cap is pretty huge.”

Here are the two major takeaways from the new API guidelines:

1. Stay user-centric. Many of the guidelines discuss not misusing Twitter content, spamming users or “surprising users.”

2. Be a good partner to Twitter (e.g. don’t break the rules, do not take Twitter’s ideas and pass them off as your own).

These guidelines seem more than fair and aim to protect the parties involved (especially the user). Furthermore, it seems that they will limit the amount of marketing spam that people will receive in these apps, leaving room for the more earnest digital marketer to be seen and heard. Please feel free to disagree with me in the comments. Apps like Storify were given as examples of what Twitter would like to see moving forward. In other words, an app that mimics Twitter’s exact function is not as valuable as an app that takes the content on Twitter, filters for relevance and aggregates content in a new and innovative way.