April 22nd, 2009
Twitter alters follow rules; stuns developers
With no notice, Twitter yesterday “pulled the rug out from under its developers” one developer says, by discouraging auto-following and imposing 1,000 person-per-day following limits.
In another example of why popular Internet startups need hard and fast rules for developers and users alike (Facebook - are you listening?), Twitter made a day-of announcement, “neglecting” the business plans of developers who were using the formerly-somewhat-unrestricted policy to create new ventures, according to Stay N’ Alive’s Jesse Stay.
Stay writes:
A little notice would have been helpful, but is very consistent with the way developers have been treated over the past year or more by Twitter. Yes, I’m a big boy and we’ll survive, but that’s besides the point. You can read more about what developers are experiencing over on LouisGray. Put lightly, I’m not happy.
Stay insists that Twitter needs a “firm Terms of Service” as a foundation and a “days notice” policy so that developers aren’t suddenly confronted with game-changing decisions.
Most importantly, Stay echoes the exact same sentiment I expressed in a previous article about Facebook: that developers will continue to leave if it doesn’t change. (Image: MonkeyWorks Illustration)
Andrew J. Nusca is an associate editor for ZDNet and SmartPlanet.
See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
| 04/22/09
