[theyCallMeSwift]

It's not about Twitter owing me, or anyone else for that matter, anything. If you release an API under the premise that developers are going to build apps that enhance and refine your existing service, then it is your responsibility to maintain a fair and open attitude towards them.

[randomdrake]

You can't effectively say "they don't owe me anything" and say "they owe us a fair and open attitude" in the same sentence and expect to be taken seriously. They don't owe you anything. You don't pay them for anything. There's risk in piggy backing on another service. There always has been and always will be. This same reaction occurs every single time an API gets closed, changed, or altered in ways that developers don't like.

If anything, you provide a disservice to developers by invoking and promoting such a, pardon me but, whiny attitude towards something that should you should understand to be basic business.

[HalcyonicStorm]

Twitter does owe a fraction of its success to its developer ecosystem. By upsetting said ecosystem, they're hurting themselves.

[randomdrake]

I'm sorry but don't see what that has to do with the misplaced sense of personal entitlement.

[HalcyonicStorm]

It's not about entitlement so much as don't piss off the people who add value to your platform

[potatolicious]

Responsibility is a strong word that is unwarranted. It would be nice for Twitter to continue to operate the API in an egalitarian and fair manner. They are under no responsibility to do anything.

But that's besides the point. The crux of it is:

Twitter took you all for a ride, and screwed you at the end. Your solution is to put together an online petition calling on the big bad man to see the light and do the right thing...?

You've got nothing on Twitter, they have no reason to listen to any of you. It's time to cut your losses, move on, and learn your lessons about building on closed platforms.

[theyCallMeSwift]

I agree that they have no reason to listen. In all likelihood, no single thing that any one person can do is going to get them to care at all. It's more about the collective voice and reiterating that you can't treat your developer community like crap.

Even if Twitter never listens, if this (or anything I write for that matter) causes anyone to think before they make a poor policy decision for their dev community, then I'd be a happy camper.

[potatolicious]

> "It's more about the collective voice and reiterating that you can't treat your developer community like crap."

But they can. The rode the 3rd party ecosystem all the way to the top, and now you're no longer needed. They can do whatever they want, which really sucks, and is kind of a dick thing to do, but even collectively you (plural, as in the whole of Twitter's dev base) have no sway over Twitter now.

I'm not condoning Twitter's actions, but IMO petitioning them when it's clear that this is the result of a major strategy shift, is just wasting your breath. It will aggravate you and be ultimately useless.

[nollidge]

I'm having a hard time viewing "responsibility to do something" and "owing someone something" as distinct ideas.

[vanwilder77]

well Twitter certainly does not want Developers, to build successful apps using their API's. So the only way to solve this problem would be just, stop using their services.