On Friday just before many people escaped for March Break, Twitter unveiled new rules for API that, in many ways, could slam the door on the vibrant developer ecosystem that has been allowed to emerge in the past couple of years.
Since then, Twitter’s Ryan Sarver has been dancing around explaining that nothing has really changed except that to have a “consistent user 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 simple terms, Twitter wants to be the way people use the service, and services such as TweetDeck (now owned by nemesis Bill Gross) are considered to be the competition unless they have received official approval from Twitter. It’s the classic, it’s my ball and we’ll play the way I want.
On one hand, it’s about time Twitter took control of its API given it is the company’s most valuable asset, and one it hasn’t really leveraged to generate much-needed revenue.
On the other hand, Twitter is putting the hammer down on an ecosystem that has played a major role in driving Twitter’s popularity. With more than 750,000 applications – a staggering number – Twitter can be used to do pretty much anything.
The problem, however, is Twitter hosted a party that got completely out of hand. Now, it wants to turn the lights back on, turn off the stereo and close the liquor cabinet. It’s an abrupt change of events that either suggests a dramatic shift in strategic direction, or a company scrambling to figure out how it rather than its API users can be financially successful.
In many respects, Twitter is a wildly successful project that got away on its founders and, for that matter, its investors. Its popularity and emergence as a key communications medium was something that could have never been anticipated. In hindsight, Twitter should have made better strategic decisions but it was focused on growth while other issues such as a business plan appeared to be secondary considerations.
The recent departure of Evan Williams was a major indication of Twitter’s new direction. The new API rules are another sign that CEO Dick Costolo and Twitter’s investors are intent on carving out a new strategic direction.
The question is whether Twitter is a digital Titanic that is simply too big to move in a radically new direction. While not surprising, the new API rules are abrupt and could have a major impact on how Twitter’s developer ecosystem evolves and support the “mothership”.
If Twitter wants developers to play a periphery role while it will be the way people use Twitter, the new API rules could badly backfire by killing the innovative culture that has made Twitter such an interesting landscape.
By trying to be the game in town, Twitter may be cutting off its nose to spite its face.
Links: Check out The Next Web for more thoughts on Twitter’s new API policy.
