T he guillotine falls on Twitter API 1.0
It’s the end of the line for many third-party Twitter developers today, as Twitter has finally dropped the hatchet on version 1.0 of its API. Even the popular Twitter-owned TweetDeck gets a close shave, as the app will eventually cease to function (only browser versions live on). The decision by Twitter to cut support for 1.0 of their API essentially forces developers to upgrade to 1.1, or go home – something which several smaller developers have already done, due to the level of restrictions on the new API.
One of the unfortunate consequences of the transition will be how it affects something so simple (yet popular) as displaying a Twitter feed on a website. In the past anyone could post any Twitter feed anywhere. Now, in order for the content of any Twitter account to continue displaying somewhere other than Twitter, it’s necessary to first retrieve an access token by logging directly into the account in question.
According to Twitter’s Developer Display Requirements, there are also strict requirements on how Tweets are to appear in the wild. While it’s unlikely that Twitter is going to track down every single Twitter feed to make sure it complies, it’s unfortunate to see the social media giant take such a large step away from the same third-party support that helped it rise to prominence.
Like many developers, we’ll be busy over the next few weeks coming up with workarounds for the shift to the 1.1 API. Have any of your favorite apps or websites been affected by today’s fall of the guillotine?