‘Unlike some of the 3P [third-party] apps, we are not profitable,’ Steve Huffman says in defending the move to charge for high-volume API access.
‘Unlike some of the 3P [third-party] apps, we are not profitable,’ Steve Huffman says in defending the move to charge for high-volume API access.
Given that they had opportunities to actually monetize these apps (force displaying ads, charging a reasonable price for API access), it seems obvious that it’s a move toward wiping out the third-party ecosystem entirely instead of just trying to get compensated for it.
The backtracking to allow mod tools to continue operating (those that still add irreplaceable value to the platform) while refusing to negotiate with other apps further confirms that.
It’s sad to see this happen but I’m (unfortunately) not surprised. Whenever a site/software/etc becomes the main/only thing most people use it starts taking advantage of that. I just hope it happens less in the future with the rise of decentralized nd federated social media