> According to our data, 90% of active Twitter users use official Twitter apps on a monthly basis.

> "More specifically, developers ask us if they should build client apps that
> mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter consumer client experience.  The
> answer is no."

> "We need to ensure users can interact with Twitter the same way everywhere."

> I'm not sure you can say these things and simultaneously try to say you have
> a welcoming developer environment. All third party Twitter developers, no
> matter what they make, are now walking on eggshells, constantly at risk of
> offending Twitter's ideas of how users should interact with Twitter.

> You may feel you "need" this consistency, but you don't. You want it, and
> are willing to make tradeoffs to get it. I just hope you realize how big
> those tradeoffs are, and how chilling it is for Twitter to decide that only
> certain kinds of innovation on the Twitter API are welcome.

> -- Eric

 wrote:
> THE OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPERS
> Some key areas where ecosystem developers are thriving:
>  - PUBLISHER TOOLS.  Companies such as SocialFlow [2] help
> publishers optimize how they use Twitter, leading to increased user
> engagement and the production of the right tweet at the right time. 
>  - CURATION.  Mass Relevance [3] and Sulia [4] provide services for
> large media brands to select, display, and stream the most
> interesting
> and relevant tweets for a breaking news story, topic or event.  
>  - REALTIME DATA SIGNALS.  Hundreds of companies use real-time
> Twitter data as an input into ranking, ad targeting, or other aspects
> of enhancing their own core products.  Klout [5] is an example of a
> company which has taken this to the next level by using Twitter data
> to generate reputation scores for individuals.  Similarly, Gnip [6]
> syndicates Twitter data for licensing by third parties who want to
> use
> our real-time corpus for numerous applications (everything from hedge
> funds to ranking scores).  
>  - SOCIAL CRM, ENTREPRISE CLIENTS, AND BRAND INSIGHTS.  Companies
> such as HootSuite [7], CoTweet [8], Radian6 [9], Seesmic [10], and
> Crimson Hexagon [11] help brands, enterprises, and media companies
> tap
> into the zeitgeist about their brands on Twitter, and manage
> relationships with their consumers using Twitter as a medium for
> interaction.
>  - VALUE-ADDED CONTENT AND VERTICAL EXPERIENCES.  Emerging services
> like Formspring [12], Foursquare [13], Instagram [14], and Quora [15]
> have built into Twitter by allowing users to share unique and
> valuable
> content to their followers, while, in exchange, the services get
> broader reach, user acquisition, and traffic.  

> Hey all, I’d like to give you an update about the state of the Twitter
> Platform and hopefully provide some much requested guidance.

> Since this time last year, Twitter use has skyrocketed.  We’ve grown from 48
> million to 140 million tweets a day and we’re registering new accounts at an
> all-time record.  This massive base of users, publishers, and businesses is
> a giant playground for developers to build their own businesses on, and this
> means the opportunity has grown for everyone.

> With more people joining Twitter and accessing the service in multiple ways,
> a consistent user experience is more crucial than ever.  As we talked about
> last April, this was our motivation for buying Tweetie and developing our
> own official iPhone app.  It is the reason why we have developed official
> apps for the Mac, iPad, Android and Windows Phone, and worked with RIM on
> their Twitter for Blackberry app. As a result, the top five ways that people
> access Twitter are official Twitter apps.

> Still, our user research shows that consumers continue to be confused by the
> different ways that a fractured landscape of third-party Twitter clients
> display tweets and let users interact with core Twitter functions.  For
> example, people get confused by websites or clients that display tweets in a
> way that doesn’t follow our design guidelines, or when services put their
> own verbs on tweets instead of the ones used on Twitter.  Similarly, a
> number of third-party consumer clients use their own versions of suggested
> users, trends, and other data streams, confusing users in our network even
> more.  Users should be able to view, retweet, and reply to @nytimes’ tweets
> the same way; see the same profile information about @whitehouse; and be
> able to join in the discussion around the same trending topics as everyone
> else across Twitter.

> *A Consistent User Experience*
> Twitter is a network, and its network effects are driven by users seeing and
> contributing to the network’s conversations.  We need to ensure users can
> interact with Twitter the same way everywhere.  Specifically:
>  - *The mainstream consumer client experience*.  Twitter will provide the
> primary mainstream consumer client experience on phones, computers, and
> other devices by which millions of people access Twitter content (tweets,
> trends, profiles, etc.), and send tweets.  If there are too many ways to use
> Twitter that are inconsistent with one another, we risk diffusing the user
> experience.  In addition, a number of client applications have repeatedly
> violated Twitter’s Terms of Service, including our user privacy policy.
>  This demonstrates the risks associated with outsourcing the Twitter user
> experience to third parties.  Twitter has to revoke literally hundreds of
> API tokens / apps a week as part of our trust and safety efforts, in order
> to protect the user experience on our platform.
>  - *Display of tweets in 3rd-party services*. We need to ensure that tweets,
> and tweet actions, are rendered in a consistent way so that people have the
> same experience with tweets no matter where they are.   For example, some
> developers display “comment”, “like”, or other terms with tweets instead of
>  “follow, favorite, retweet, reply” - thus changing the core functions of a
> tweet.

> With this in mind, we’ve updated our Terms of Service:http://dev.twitter.com/pages/api_terms.

> *The Opportunity for Developers*
> Developers have told us that they’d like more guidance from us about the
> best opportunities to build on Twitter.  More specifically, developers ask
> us if they should build client apps that mimic or reproduce the mainstream
> Twitter consumer client experience.  The answer is no.

> If you are an existing developer of client apps, you can continue to serve
> your user base, but we will be holding you to high standards to ensure you
> do not violate users’ privacy, that you provide consistency in the user
> experience, and that you rigorously adhere to all areas of our Terms of
> Service.  We have spoken with the major client applications in the Twitter
> ecosystem about these needs on an ongoing basis, and will continue to ensure
> a high bar is maintained.

> As we point out above, we need to move to a less fragmented world, where
> every user can experience Twitter in a consistent way.  This is already
> happening organically - the number and market share of consumer client apps
> that are not owned or operated by Twitter has been shrinking.  According to
> our data, 90% of active Twitter users use official Twitter apps on a monthly
> basis.

> In contrast, the number of successful applications and companies in the
> Twitter ecosystem that focus on areas outside of the mainstream consumer
> client experience has grown quickly, and this is a trend we want to continue
> to support and help grow.  Twitter will always be a platform on which a
> smart developer with a great idea and some cool technology can build a great
> company of his or her own.  And, with record user growth, there has never
> been a better time to build into Twitter.

> Some key areas where ecosystem developers are thriving:
>  - *Publisher tools*.  Companies such as
> SocialFlow<http://www.socialflow.com/>help publishers optimize how
> they use Twitter, leading to increased user
> engagement and the production of the right tweet at the right time.
>  - *Curation*.  Mass Relevance <http://www.massrelevance.com/> and
> Sulia<http://www.sulia.com/>provide services for large media brands to
> select, display, and stream the
> most interesting and relevant tweets for a breaking news story, topic or
> event.
>  - *Realtime data signals*.  Hundreds of companies use real-time Twitter
> data as an input into ranking, ad targeting, or other aspects of enhancing
> their own core products.  Klout <http://klout.com/> is an example of a
> company which has taken this to the next level by using Twitter data to
> generate reputation scores for individuals.  Similarly,
> Gnip<http://gnip.com/>syndicates Twitter data for licensing by third
> parties who want to use our
> real-time corpus for numerous applications (everything from hedge funds to
> ranking scores).
>  - *Social CRM, entreprise clients, and brand insights*.  Companies such as
> HootSuite <http://hootsuite.com/>, CoTweet <http://cotweet.com/>,
> Radian6<http://www.radian6.com/>,
> Seesmic <http://seesmic.com/>, and Crimson
> Hexagon<http://www.crimsonhexagon.com/>help brands, enterprises, and
> media companies tap into the zeitgeist about
> their brands on Twitter, and manage relationships with their consumers using
> Twitter as a medium for interaction.
>  - *Value-added content and vertical experiences*.  Emerging services like
> Formspring <http://www.formspring.me/>, Foursquare <http://foursquare.com/>,
> Instagram <http://instagr.am/>, and Quora <http://www.quora.com/> have built
> into Twitter by allowing users to share unique and valuable content to their
> followers, while, in exchange, the services get broader reach, user
> acquisition, and traffic.

> A lot of Twitter’s success is attributable to a diverse ecosystem of more
> than 750,000 registered apps.  We will continue to support this innovation.
>  We are excited to be working with our developer community to create a
> consistent and innovative experience for the many millions of users who have
> come to depend on Twitter every day.

> As always, we welcome your feedback and questions.

> Best, Ryan
> @rsarver <http://twitter.com/rsarver>

On Sat, Mar 12, 2011 at 1:48 AM, Ryan Sarver <rsar...@twitter.com> wrote:
> Hey all, I’d like to give you an update about the state of the Twitter
> Platform and hopefully provide some much requested guidance.

> Since this time last year, Twitter use has skyrocketed.  We’ve grown from
> 48 million to 140 million tweets a day and we’re registering new accounts at
> an all-time record.  This massive base of users, publishers, and businesses
> is a giant playground for developers to build their own businesses on, and
> this means the opportunity has grown for everyone.

> With more people joining Twitter and accessing the service in multiple
> ways, a consistent user experience is more crucial than ever.  As we talked
> about last April, this was our motivation for buying Tweetie and developing
> our own official iPhone app.  It is the reason why we have developed
> official apps for the Mac, iPad, Android and Windows Phone, and worked with
> RIM on their Twitter for Blackberry app. As a result, the top five ways that
> people access Twitter are official Twitter apps.

> Still, our user research shows that consumers continue to be confused by
> the different ways that a fractured landscape of third-party Twitter clients
> display tweets and let users interact with core Twitter functions.  For
> example, people get confused by websites or clients that display tweets in a
> way that doesn’t follow our design guidelines, or when services put their
> own verbs on tweets instead of the ones used on Twitter.  Similarly, a
> number of third-party consumer clients use their own versions of suggested
> users, trends, and other data streams, confusing users in our network even
> more.  Users should be able to view, retweet, and reply to @nytimes’ tweets
> the same way; see the same profile information about @whitehouse; and be
> able to join in the discussion around the same trending topics as everyone
> else across Twitter.

> *A Consistent User Experience*
> Twitter is a network, and its network effects are driven by users seeing
> and contributing to the network’s conversations.  We need to ensure users
> can interact with Twitter the same way everywhere.  Specifically:
>  - *The mainstream consumer client experience*.  Twitter will provide the
> primary mainstream consumer client experience on phones, computers, and
> other devices by which millions of people access Twitter content (tweets,
> trends, profiles, etc.), and send tweets.  If there are too many ways to use
> Twitter that are inconsistent with one another, we risk diffusing the user
> experience.  In addition, a number of client applications have repeatedly
> violated Twitter’s Terms of Service, including our user privacy policy.
>  This demonstrates the risks associated with outsourcing the Twitter user
> experience to third parties.  Twitter has to revoke literally hundreds of
> API tokens / apps a week as part of our trust and safety efforts, in order
> to protect the user experience on our platform.
>  - *Display of tweets in 3rd-party services*. We need to ensure that
> tweets, and tweet actions, are rendered in a consistent way so that people
> have the same experience with tweets no matter where they are.   For
> example, some developers display “comment”, “like”, or other terms with
> tweets instead of  “follow, favorite, retweet, reply” - thus changing the
> core functions of a tweet.

> With this in mind, we’ve updated our Terms of Service:
> http://dev.twitter.com/pages/api_terms.

> *The Opportunity for Developers*
> Developers have told us that they’d like more guidance from us about the
> best opportunities to build on Twitter.  More specifically, developers ask
> us if they should build client apps that mimic or reproduce the mainstream
> Twitter consumer client experience.  The answer is no.

> If you are an existing developer of client apps, you can continue to serve
> your user base, but we will be holding you to high standards to ensure you
> do not violate users’ privacy, that you provide consistency in the user
> experience, and that you rigorously adhere to all areas of our Terms of
> Service.  We have spoken with the major client applications in the Twitter
> ecosystem about these needs on an ongoing basis, and will continue to ensure
> a high bar is maintained.

> As we point out above, we need to move to a less fragmented world, where
> every user can experience Twitter in a consistent way.  This is already
> happening organically - the number and market share of consumer client apps
> that are not owned or operated by Twitter has been shrinking.  According to
> our data, 90% of active Twitter users use official Twitter apps on a monthly
> basis.

> In contrast, the number of successful applications and companies in the
> Twitter ecosystem that focus on areas outside of the mainstream consumer
> client experience has grown quickly, and this is a trend we want to continue
> to support and help grow.  Twitter will always be a platform on which a
> smart developer with a great idea and some cool technology can build a great
> company of his or her own.  And, with record user growth, there has never
> been a better time to build into Twitter.

> Some key areas where ecosystem developers are thriving:
>  - *Publisher tools*.  Companies such as SocialFlow<http://www.socialflow.com/>help publishers optimize how they use Twitter, leading to increased user
> engagement and the production of the right tweet at the right time.
>  - *Curation*.  Mass Relevance <http://www.massrelevance.com/> and Sulia<http://www.sulia.com/>provide services for large media brands to select, display, and stream the
> most interesting and relevant tweets for a breaking news story, topic or
> event.
>  - *Realtime data signals*.  Hundreds of companies use real-time Twitter
> data as an input into ranking, ad targeting, or other aspects of enhancing
> their own core products.  Klout <http://klout.com/> is an example of a
> company which has taken this to the next level by using Twitter data to
> generate reputation scores for individuals.  Similarly, Gnip<http://gnip.com/>syndicates Twitter data for licensing by third parties who want to use our
> real-time corpus for numerous applications (everything from hedge funds to
> ranking scores).
>  - *Social CRM, entreprise clients, and brand insights*.  Companies such
> as HootSuite <http://hootsuite.com/>, CoTweet <http://cotweet.com/>,
> Radian6 <http://www.radian6.com/>, Seesmic <http://seesmic.com/>, and Crimson
> Hexagon <http://www.crimsonhexagon.com/> help brands, enterprises, and
> media companies tap into the zeitgeist about their brands on Twitter, and
> manage relationships with their consumers using Twitter as a medium for
> interaction.
>  - *Value-added content and vertical experiences*.  Emerging services like
> Formspring <http://www.formspring.me/>, Foursquare<http://foursquare.com/>,
> Instagram <http://instagr.am/>, and Quora <http://www.quora.com/> have
> built into Twitter by allowing users to share unique and valuable content to
> their followers, while, in exchange, the services get broader reach, user
> acquisition, and traffic.

> A lot of Twitter’s success is attributable to a diverse ecosystem of more
> than 750,000 registered apps.  We will continue to support this innovation.
>  We are excited to be working with our developer community to create a
> consistent and innovative experience for the many millions of users who have
> come to depend on Twitter every day.

> As always, we welcome your feedback and questions.

> Best, Ryan
> @rsarver <http://twitter.com/rsarver>

>  --
> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> Change your membership to this group:
> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

> Thanks for the clarification Ryan. Two questions:

> 1) Do you have a clear definition of what counts as a Twitter client?
> Is it any app/service that posts updates to Twitter, including apps
> like twitterfeed and Instapaper? Or is it only those apps that are
> "primarily" clients? I'm certainly familiar with the challenge of
> classifying apps ;) but wanted to know who will be covered by the ToS
> Section 1.5 and how you think about "clients" given Twitter's updated
> stance.

> 2) In section 1.5.A of the ToS it says:

> "Your Client must use the Twitter API as the sole source for features
> that are substantially similar to functionality offered by Twitter.
> Some examples include trending topics, who to follow, and suggested
> user lists."

> Is the "Who to follow" functionality available via API from Twitter
> for clients that want to offer this? I wasn't aware that it been
> released as API but may have missed it on dev.twitter.com.

> Thanks,

> -mike

> On Mar 11, 3:47 pm, Eric Mill <kproject...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > "More specifically, developers ask us if they should build client apps
> that
> > mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter consumer client experience.
>  The
> > answer is no."

> > "We need to ensure users can interact with Twitter the same way
> everywhere."

> > I'm not sure you can say these things and simultaneously try to say you
> have
> > a welcoming developer environment. All third party Twitter developers, no
> > matter what they make, are now walking on eggshells, constantly at risk
> of
> > offending Twitter's ideas of how users should interact with Twitter.

> > You may feel you "need" this consistency, but you don't. You want it, and
> > are willing to make tradeoffs to get it. I just hope you realize how big
> > those tradeoffs are, and how chilling it is for Twitter to decide that
> only
> > certain kinds of innovation on the Twitter API are welcome.

> > -- Eric

> --
> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> Change your membership to this group:
> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

> Wow.  "Thanks for getting so many people interested in Twitter.  Now
> get lost."

> This is appalling.

> --
> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> Change your membership to this group:
> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

> Interesting that neither Ryan or anyone else from Twitter has replied once to any of the questions here, (way to go on showing your interest in the developer community, Ryan),  so I'll address this question to everyone else in the group. I don't read Ryan's message as demanding that apps are no longer allowed to send tweets on behalf of users. Is that supposed to be what he said? I think he is saying that apps should be more than *just* clients that let you read and post tweets. How to tell the difference, I have no idea, but I think in Ryan's mind there is a difference.

> I'll ask it as clearly as I can. Is it still allowed for an app to accept a tweet from a user and post it into their account?

> Is the /statuses/update api call still allowed in an app?

> Let's not wait for Twitter to respond, since they clearly don't want to any longer. Let's try and figure this out ourselves. What does everyone think? Can apps still send tweets?

> If yes, there is still a market for Twitter API developers. If not, the Twitter API is over. It is that simple.

> Maybe Ryan or anyone from Twitter can also find the time to answer this.

> On Sat, Mar 12, 2011 at 6:45 PM, Duane Roelands <duane.roela...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Wow.  "Thanks for getting so many people interested in Twitter.  Now
> get lost."

> This is appalling.

> --
> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> Issues/Enhancements Tracker: http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> Change your membership to this group: http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

> --
> Adam Green
> Twitter API Consultant and Trainer
> http://140dev.com
> @140dev

> --
> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> Issues/Enhancements Tracker: http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> Change your membership to this group: http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

> I was hoping that Ryan was just a few weeks early for his April Fools'
> post.

> "Don't build clients?"  It sounds like a bad joke.

> I wrote a letter to Ryan on my blog in response to this post:

> http://www.voiceoftech.com/swhitley/index.php/2011/03/a-letter-to-rya...

> I know you guys can't be serious about this.  Stage a mutiny if you
> have to, but don't let this boneheaded decision stand.

> --
> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> Issues/Enhancements Tracker: http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> Change your membership to this group: http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

On Sat, Mar 12, 2011 at 7:28 PM, Scott Wilcox <sc...@dor.ky> wrote:
> Hello,

> For a few days now I've read what people have said in reply to the update
> from Ryan. There are some crazy reactions and responses to what Ryan has
> said. In essence, the entire reaction is my opinion is completely overblown.

> Not in any sense what-so-ever have Twitter said that you can no longer post
> updates on behalf of users. Its ludicrous to suggest so. What they have have
> said (and in my opinion - quite clearly) is that it is better to direct your
> time and effort into a product that is not just a simple client and does
> more than just provide viewing and posting of tweets. There are so many
> half-arsed clients out there that do little more than just show and post
> tweets. If by chance a user was to use these low grade applications as their
> first experience of Twitter, it would probably put them off using it in the
> long term.

> I do fully believe that is why they have released their own branded clients
> for iOS, Macs and other devices. It provides a consistent experience for the
> end-users.

> The other thing that people seem to completely overlook is that Twitter are
> providing a freely accessible API at no charge to developers. It pains me to
> see so many developers standing the moral high ground. If you were paying
> for access to a service or product and it changes, you have a very valid
> reason to complain. To complain about a service provided free of charge for
> you to use at the end of the day frustrates me to no end. No single
> developer has a god given right to have access to the API, perhaps that
> should be remembered.

> Scott.

> On 13 Mar 2011, at 00:16, Adam Green wrote:

> Interesting that neither Ryan or anyone else from Twitter has replied once
> to any of the questions here, (way to go on showing your interest in the
> developer community, Ryan),  so I'll address this question to everyone else
> in the group. I don't read Ryan's message as demanding that apps are no
> longer allowed to send tweets on behalf of users. Is that supposed to be
> what he said? I think he is saying that apps should be more than *just*
> clients that let you read and post tweets. How to tell the difference, I
> have no idea, but I think in Ryan's mind there is a difference.

> I'll ask it as clearly as I can. Is it still allowed for an app to accept a
> tweet from a user and post it into their account?

> Is the /statuses/update api call still allowed in an app?

> Let's not wait for Twitter to respond, since they clearly don't want to any
> longer. Let's try and figure this out ourselves. What does everyone think?
> Can apps still send tweets?

> If yes, there is still a market for Twitter API developers. If not, the
> Twitter API is over. It is that simple.

> Maybe Ryan or anyone from Twitter can also find the time to answer this.

> On Sat, Mar 12, 2011 at 6:45 PM, Duane Roelands <duane.roela...@gmail.com>wrote:

>> Wow.  "Thanks for getting so many people interested in Twitter.  Now
>> get lost."

>> This is appalling.

>> --
>> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
>> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
>> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
>> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
>> Change your membership to this group:
>> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

> --
> Adam Green
> Twitter API Consultant and Trainer
> http://140dev.com
> @140dev

> --
> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> Change your membership to this group:
> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

>  --
> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> Change your membership to this group:
> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

> Thanks for the clarification Ryan. Two questions:

> 1) Do you have a clear definition of what counts as a Twitter client?
> Is it any app/service that posts updates to Twitter, including apps
> like twitterfeed and Instapaper? Or is it only those apps that are
> "primarily" clients? I'm certainly familiar with the challenge of
> classifying apps ;) but wanted to know who will be covered by the ToS
> Section 1.5 and how you think about "clients" given Twitter's updated
> stance.

> 2) In section 1.5.A of the ToS it says:

> "Your Client must use the Twitter API as the sole source for features
> that are substantially similar to functionality offered by Twitter.
> Some examples include trending topics, who to follow, and suggested
> user lists."

> Is the "Who to follow" functionality available via API from Twitter
> for clients that want to offer this? I wasn't aware that it been
> released as API but may have missed it on dev.twitter.com.

> Thanks,

> -mike

> On Mar 11, 3:47 pm, Eric Mill <kproject...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > "More specifically, developers ask us if they should build client apps
> that
> > mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter consumer client experience.
>  The
> > answer is no."

> > "We need to ensure users can interact with Twitter the same way
> everywhere."

> > I'm not sure you can say these things and simultaneously try to say you
> have
> > a welcoming developer environment. All third party Twitter developers, no
> > matter what they make, are now walking on eggshells, constantly at risk
> of
> > offending Twitter's ideas of how users should interact with Twitter.

> > You may feel you "need" this consistency, but you don't. You want it, and
> > are willing to make tradeoffs to get it. I just hope you realize how big
> > those tradeoffs are, and how chilling it is for Twitter to decide that
> only
> > certain kinds of innovation on the Twitter API are welcome.

> > -- Eric

> --
> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> Change your membership to this group:
> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

On Sat, Mar 12, 2011 at 12:32 AM, David W <d_wy...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> It seems a little confusing that you're basically saying "don't build
> any more Twitter clients" and then call out the likes of Hoot Suite
> and Seesmic as being examples of what people should be doing.  At
> heart they're just Twitter clients (that we shouldn't build any
> more?)  They also appear to be conflict with section 5e of the Ts &
> Cs: "You may not use Twitter Content or other data collected from end
> users of your Client to create or maintain a separate status update or
> social network database or service."

> I guess what confuses me most, is the motivation behind this
> announcement?  I mean sure, no-one wants apps out there that take
> advantage of end users and give them a rough ride, but as you said
> yourself 90% of users aren't getting that experience and as someone
> else said; good apps will always bubble to the top.

> I think it's incredibly disappointing to hear Twitter tell dev's not
> to create clients any more.  No developer sets out to create a bad
> Twitter client.  They set out to improve the Twitter experience,
> because they believe they can and generally because they love
> Twitter.  Arguably Twitter wouldn't be where it is today if it weren't
> for those that did exactly that.

> Unless we've all misunderstood what's been said here, then I'd
> question investing any time or money into the focusing on what are,
> today, areas "outside the mainstream consumer client experience".
> Sure go ahead and innovate in the areas Twitter tells you you're
> allowed to... for now.  What happens when Twitter sees the new
> innovation you've just discovered is really popular?  Do we get
> another announcement telling dev's not to develop that stuff any more?

> Like I say, I hope we've all misunderstood the message here (I really
> do).  I've no beef with the Ts & Cs.  But please don't tell people to
> stop developing clients that people work hard on and that users love.

> On Mar 11, 8:18 pm, Ryan Sarver <rsar...@twitter.com> wrote:
> > Hey all, I’d like to give you an update about the state of the Twitter
> > Platform and hopefully provide some much requested guidance.

> > Since this time last year, Twitter use has skyrocketed.  We’ve grown from
> 48
> > million to 140 million tweets a day and we’re registering new accounts at
> an
> > all-time record.  This massive base of users, publishers, and businesses
> is
> > a giant playground for developers to build their own businesses on, and
> this
> > means the opportunity has grown for everyone.

> > With more people joining Twitter and accessing the service in multiple
> ways,
> > a consistent user experience is more crucial than ever.  As we talked
> about
> > last April, this was our motivation for buying Tweetie and developing our
> > own official iPhone app.  It is the reason why we have developed official
> > apps for the Mac, iPad, Android and Windows Phone, and worked with RIM on
> > their Twitter for Blackberry app. As a result, the top five ways that
> people
> > access Twitter are official Twitter apps.

> > Still, our user research shows that consumers continue to be confused by
> the
> > different ways that a fractured landscape of third-party Twitter clients
> > display tweets and let users interact with core Twitter functions.  For
> > example, people get confused by websites or clients that display tweets
> in a
> > way that doesn’t follow our design guidelines, or when services put their
> > own verbs on tweets instead of the ones used on Twitter.  Similarly, a
> > number of third-party consumer clients use their own versions of
> suggested
> > users, trends, and other data streams, confusing users in our network
> even
> > more.  Users should be able to view, retweet, and reply to @nytimes’
> tweets
> > the same way; see the same profile information about @whitehouse; and be
> > able to join in the discussion around the same trending topics as
> everyone
> > else across Twitter.

> > *A Consistent User Experience*
> > Twitter is a network, and its network effects are driven by users seeing
> and
> > contributing to the network’s conversations.  We need to ensure users can
> > interact with Twitter the same way everywhere.  Specifically:
> >  - *The mainstream consumer client experience*.  Twitter will provide the
> > primary mainstream consumer client experience on phones, computers, and
> > other devices by which millions of people access Twitter content (tweets,
> > trends, profiles, etc.), and send tweets.  If there are too many ways to
> use
> > Twitter that are inconsistent with one another, we risk diffusing the
> user
> > experience.  In addition, a number of client applications have repeatedly
> > violated Twitter’s Terms of Service, including our user privacy policy.
> >  This demonstrates the risks associated with outsourcing the Twitter user
> > experience to third parties.  Twitter has to revoke literally hundreds of
> > API tokens / apps a week as part of our trust and safety efforts, in
> order
> > to protect the user experience on our platform.
> >  - *Display of tweets in 3rd-party services*. We need to ensure that
> tweets,
> > and tweet actions, are rendered in a consistent way so that people have
> the
> > same experience with tweets no matter where they are.   For example, some
> > developers display “comment”, “like”, or other terms with tweets instead
> of
> >  “follow, favorite, retweet, reply” - thus changing the core functions of
> a
> > tweet.

> > With this in mind, we’ve updated our Terms of Service:
> http://dev.twitter.com/pages/api_terms.

> > *The Opportunity for Developers*
> > Developers have told us that they’d like more guidance from us about the
> > best opportunities to build on Twitter.  More specifically, developers
> ask
> > us if they should build client apps that mimic or reproduce the
> mainstream
> > Twitter consumer client experience.  The answer is no.

> > If you are an existing developer of client apps, you can continue to
> serve
> > your user base, but we will be holding you to high standards to ensure
> you
> > do not violate users’ privacy, that you provide consistency in the user
> > experience, and that you rigorously adhere to all areas of our Terms of
> > Service.  We have spoken with the major client applications in the
> Twitter
> > ecosystem about these needs on an ongoing basis, and will continue to
> ensure
> > a high bar is maintained.

> > As we point out above, we need to move to a less fragmented world, where
> > every user can experience Twitter in a consistent way.  This is already
> > happening organically - the number and market share of consumer client
> apps
> > that are not owned or operated by Twitter has been shrinking.  According
> to
> > our data, 90% of active Twitter users use official Twitter apps on a
> monthly
> > basis.

> > In contrast, the number of successful applications and companies in the
> > Twitter ecosystem that focus on areas outside of the mainstream consumer
> > client experience has grown quickly, and this is a trend we want to
> continue
> > to support and help grow.  Twitter will always be a platform on which a
> > smart developer with a great idea and some cool technology can build a
> great
> > company of his or her own.  And, with record user growth, there has never
> > been a better time to build into Twitter.

> > Some key areas where ecosystem developers are thriving:
> >  - *Publisher tools*.  Companies such as
> > SocialFlow<http://www.socialflow.com/>help publishers optimize how
> > they use Twitter, leading to increased user
> > engagement and the production of the right tweet at the right time.
> >  - *Curation*.  Mass Relevance <http://www.massrelevance.com/> and
> > Sulia<http://www.sulia.com/>provide services for large media brands to
> > select, display, and stream the
> > most interesting and relevant tweets for a breaking news story, topic or
> > event.
> >  - *Realtime data signals*.  Hundreds of companies use real-time Twitter
> > data as an input into ranking, ad targeting, or other aspects of
> enhancing
> > their own core products.  Klout <http://klout.com/> is an example of a
> > company which has taken this to the next level by using Twitter data to
> > generate reputation scores for individuals.  Similarly,
> > Gnip<http://gnip.com/>syndicates Twitter data for licensing by third
> > parties who want to use our
> > real-time corpus for numerous applications (everything from hedge funds
> to
> > ranking scores).
> >  - *Social CRM, entreprise clients, and brand insights*.  Companies such
> as
> > HootSuite <http://hootsuite.com/>, CoTweet <http://cotweet.com/>,
> > Radian6<http://www.radian6.com/>,
> > Seesmic <http://seesmic.com/>, and Crimson
> > Hexagon<http://www.crimsonhexagon.com/>help brands, enterprises, and
> > media companies tap into the zeitgeist about
> > their brands on Twitter, and manage relationships with their consumers
> using
> > Twitter as a medium for interaction.
> >  - *Value-added content and vertical experiences*.  Emerging services
> like
> > Formspring <http://www.formspring.me/>, Foursquare <
> http://foursquare.com/>,
> > Instagram <http://instagr.am/>, and Quora <http://www.quora.com/> have
> built
> > into Twitter by allowing users to share unique and valuable content to
> their
> > followers, while, in exchange, the services get broader reach, user
> > acquisition, and traffic.

> > A lot of Twitter’s success is attributable to a diverse ecosystem of more
> > than 750,000 registered apps.  We will continue to support this
> innovation.
> >  We are excited to be working with our

On Sat, Mar 12, 2011 at 7:47 PM, Ryan Sarver <rsar...@twitter.com> wrote:
> Mike, a client is one that recreates the twitter experience, or in your
> words the "primary" experience. So I don't consider Instagram or Foursquare
> in that group. It's apps that render a user their timeline.

> Apps that post into Twitter are great and explicitly called out at the
> bottom of the email.

> Hope that helps clarify.

> Best, Ryan
> --
> Ryan Sarver
> @rsarver <http://twitter.com/rsarver>

> On Fri, Mar 11, 2011 at 9:09 PM, Mike Champion <mike.champ...@gmail.com>wrote:

>> Thanks for the clarification Ryan. Two questions:

>> 1) Do you have a clear definition of what counts as a Twitter client?
>> Is it any app/service that posts updates to Twitter, including apps
>> like twitterfeed and Instapaper? Or is it only those apps that are
>> "primarily" clients? I'm certainly familiar with the challenge of
>> classifying apps ;) but wanted to know who will be covered by the ToS
>> Section 1.5 and how you think about "clients" given Twitter's updated
>> stance.

>> 2) In section 1.5.A of the ToS it says:

>> "Your Client must use the Twitter API as the sole source for features
>> that are substantially similar to functionality offered by Twitter.
>> Some examples include trending topics, who to follow, and suggested
>> user lists."

>> Is the "Who to follow" functionality available via API from Twitter
>> for clients that want to offer this? I wasn't aware that it been
>> released as API but may have missed it on dev.twitter.com.

>> Thanks,

>> -mike

>> On Mar 11, 3:47 pm, Eric Mill <kproject...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > "More specifically, developers ask us if they should build client apps
>> that
>> > mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter consumer client experience.
>>  The
>> > answer is no."

>> > "We need to ensure users can interact with Twitter the same way
>> everywhere."

>> > I'm not sure you can say these things and simultaneously try to say you
>> have
>> > a welcoming developer environment. All third party Twitter developers,
>> no
>> > matter what they make, are now walking on eggshells, constantly at risk
>> of
>> > offending Twitter's ideas of how users should interact with Twitter.

>> > You may feel you "need" this consistency, but you don't. You want it,
>> and
>> > are willing to make tradeoffs to get it. I just hope you realize how big
>> > those tradeoffs are, and how chilling it is for Twitter to decide that
>> only
>> > certain kinds of innovation on the Twitter API are welcome.

>> > -- Eric

>> --
>> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
>> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
>> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
>> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
>> Change your membership to this group:
>> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

>  --
> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> Change your membership to this group:
> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

On Sun, Mar 13, 2011 at 12:40 AM, Adam Green <140...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I agree, Scott. Ryan didn't say you can't post tweets, but everyone heard
> that. Every tech blog repeated it. Ryan should take a minute and explain
> that it isn't true. That much would help a lot. He led by saying don't build
> a client. That is where people stopped reading.

> I don't think he meant to tell people that apps can't tweet, but he did
> give that impression. Now he should come back and say, "Sorry guys. I gave
> you the wrong impression. Here are specifically the things you can still
> do." Don't just point to companies with $10M in VC funds each and say "No
> problem, just be like them."

> These are API developers. Say it in terms of the API. Exactly which API
> calls are still allowed. If he says statuses/update is still allowed, then
> that answers the question. There is no ambiguity.

> As for Twitter being free. Yes. The API is, but denying the value that
> products like Tweetdeck gave Twitter *for free* is denying the reality of
> how Twitter got to where it is. It is called a partnership. They give us raw
> materials, we add value to them. We all benefit.

> On Sat, Mar 12, 2011 at 7:28 PM, Scott Wilcox <sc...@dor.ky> wrote:

>> Hello,

>> For a few days now I've read what people have said in reply to the update
>> from Ryan. There are some crazy reactions and responses to what Ryan has
>> said. In essence, the entire reaction is my opinion is completely overblown.

>> Not in any sense what-so-ever have Twitter said that you can no longer
>> post updates on behalf of users. Its ludicrous to suggest so. What they have
>> have said (and in my opinion - quite clearly) is that it is better to direct
>> your time and effort into a product that is not just a simple client and
>> does more than just provide viewing and posting of tweets. There are so many
>> half-arsed clients out there that do little more than just show and post
>> tweets. If by chance a user was to use these low grade applications as their
>> first experience of Twitter, it would probably put them off using it in the
>> long term.

>> I do fully believe that is why they have released their own branded
>> clients for iOS, Macs and other devices. It provides a consistent experience
>> for the end-users.

>> The other thing that people seem to completely overlook is that Twitter
>> are providing a freely accessible API at no charge to developers. It pains
>> me to see so many developers standing the moral high ground. If you were
>> paying for access to a service or product and it changes, you have a very
>> valid reason to complain. To complain about a service provided free of
>> charge for you to use at the end of the day frustrates me to no end. No
>> single developer has a god given right to have access to the API, perhaps
>> that should be remembered.

>> Scott.

>> On 13 Mar 2011, at 00:16, Adam Green wrote:

>> Interesting that neither Ryan or anyone else from Twitter has replied once
>> to any of the questions here, (way to go on showing your interest in the
>> developer community, Ryan),  so I'll address this question to everyone else
>> in the group. I don't read Ryan's message as demanding that apps are no
>> longer allowed to send tweets on behalf of users. Is that supposed to be
>> what he said? I think he is saying that apps should be more than *just*
>> clients that let you read and post tweets. How to tell the difference, I
>> have no idea, but I think in Ryan's mind there is a difference.

>> I'll ask it as clearly as I can. Is it still allowed for an app to accept
>> a tweet from a user and post it into their account?

>> Is the /statuses/update api call still allowed in an app?

>> Let's not wait for Twitter to respond, since they clearly don't want to
>> any longer. Let's try and figure this out ourselves. What does everyone
>> think? Can apps still send tweets?

>> If yes, there is still a market for Twitter API developers. If not, the
>> Twitter API is over. It is that simple.

>> Maybe Ryan or anyone from Twitter can also find the time to answer this.

>> On Sat, Mar 12, 2011 at 6:45 PM, Duane Roelands <duane.roela...@gmail.com
>> > wrote:

>>> Wow.  "Thanks for getting so many people interested in Twitter.  Now
>>> get lost."

>>> This is appalling.

>>> --
>>> Twitter developer documentation and resources:
>>> http://dev.twitter.com/doc
>>> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
>>> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
>>> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
>>> Change your membership to this group:
>>> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

>> --
>> Adam Green
>> Twitter API Consultant and Trainer
>> http://140dev.com
>> @140dev

>> --
>> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
>> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
>> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
>> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
>> Change your membership to this group:
>> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

>>  --
>> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
>> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
>> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
>> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
>> Change your membership to this group:
>> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

> --
> Adam Green
> Twitter API Consultant and Trainer
> http://140dev.com
> @140dev

> --
> Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> Issues/Enhancements Tracker:
> http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> Change your membership to this group:
> http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

Scott Wilcox wrote:
> Hello,

> For a few days now I've read what people have said in reply to the update from Ryan. There are some crazy reactions and responses to what Ryan has said. In essence, the entire reaction is my opinion is completely overblown.

> Not in any sense what-so-ever have Twitter said that you can no longer post updates on behalf of users. Its ludicrous to suggest so. What they have have said (and in my opinion - quite clearly) is that it is better to direct your time and effort into a product that is not just a simple client and does more than just provide viewing and posting of tweets. There are so many half-arsed clients out there that do little more than just show and post tweets. If by chance a user was to use these low grade applications as their first experience of Twitter, it would probably put them off using it in the long term.

> I do fully believe that is why they have released their own branded clients for iOS, Macs and other devices. It provides a consistent experience for the end-users.

> The other thing that people seem to completely overlook is that Twitter are providing a freely accessible API at no charge to developers. It pains me to see so many developers standing the moral high ground. If you were paying for access to a service or product and it changes, you have a very valid reason to complain. To complain about a service provided free of charge for you to use at the end of the day frustrates me to no end. No single developer has a god given right to have access to the API, perhaps that should be remembered.

> Scott.

> On 13 Mar 2011, at 00:16, Adam Green wrote:

> > Interesting that neither Ryan or anyone else from Twitter has replied once to any of the questions here, (way to go on showing your interest in the developer community, Ryan),  so I'll address this question to everyone else in the group. I don't read Ryan's message as demanding that apps are no longer allowed to send tweets on behalf of users. Is that supposed to be what he said? I think he is saying that apps should be more than *just* clients that let you read and post tweets. How to tell the difference, I have no idea, but I think in Ryan's mind there is a difference.

> > I'll ask it as clearly as I can. Is it still allowed for an app to accept a tweet from a user and post it into their account?

> > Is the /statuses/update api call still allowed in an app?

> > Let's not wait for Twitter to respond, since they clearly don't want to any longer. Let's try and figure this out ourselves. What does everyone think? Can apps still send tweets?

> > If yes, there is still a market for Twitter API developers. If not, the Twitter API is over. It is that simple.

> > Maybe Ryan or anyone from Twitter can also find the time to answer this.

> > On Sat, Mar 12, 2011 at 6:45 PM, Duane Roelands <duane.roela...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Wow.  "Thanks for getting so many people interested in Twitter.  Now
> > get lost."

> > This is appalling.

> > --
> > Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> > API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> > Issues/Enhancements Tracker: http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> > Change your membership to this group: http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk

> > --
> > Adam Green
> > Twitter API Consultant and Trainer
> > http://140dev.com
> > @140dev

> > --
> > Twitter developer documentation and resources: http://dev.twitter.com/doc
> > API updates via Twitter: http://twitter.com/twitterapi
> > Issues/Enhancements Tracker: http://code.google.com/p/twitter-api/issues/list
> > Change your membership to this group: http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk