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Twitter Moves to Shut Out Outside Apps

Firm cites 'consistency'; critics see greedy motive

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 15, 2011 1:04 PM CDT

(Newser) – Twitter is calling on developers to stop designing apps that let users tweet without using the firm’s own software. Shockingly, developers aren't too thrilled. Most consider the move an effort to seize more of the revenue pie, the BBC notes; one developer slammed the suggestion as “appalling.” Twitter’s chief coder said it was seeking a more “consistent” means of accessing the growing site.

Writing on Twitter’s software development discussion board, Ryan Sarver said current developers of such apps could maintain them, but newcomers shouldn’t create Twitter-accessing software. Twitter will grow stricter about enforcing the policy, he noted. “We need to ensure users can interact with Twitter the same way everywhere,” he said, warning of the confusion the client software could create. That leaves developers “walking on eggshells,” said one commenter. Another gave a summary of Sarver’s post: “Thanks for getting so many people interested in Twitter. Now get lost.”

In this Oct. 13, 2010, file photo, Isaac Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, speaks during a conference at the Innovate Tijuana festival in Tijuana, Mexico.
In this Oct. 13, 2010, file photo, Isaac "Biz" Stone, co-founder of Twitter, speaks during a conference at the Innovate Tijuana festival in Tijuana, Mexico.   (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias, file)
The chief executive officer of Twitter, Dick Costolo, arrives to speak on February 14 during the opening of the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona.
The chief executive officer of Twitter, Dick Costolo, arrives to speak on February 14 during the opening of the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona.   (Getty Images/AFP PHOTO / JOSEP LAGO)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 5 comments
UmbrellaExecutive
Mar 15, 2011 5:24 PM CDT
I've grown accustomed to Echofon on my iphone, but I am sure if I have to I'd be able to get used to the twitter app just fine. I hope echofon sticks around, but in the end it really doesn't matter all that much. It's really not that big of a deal.
aasigo
Mar 15, 2011 4:54 PM CDT
Echofon, Tweetdeck, HootSuite are 3 apps that work great for Twitter and Facebook. I like HootSuite (free on iPad) and Tweetdeck (free on iPhone) because I can check both social networks in a single app. If you have an iPad, you should check out Flipboard (also free) as it displays your social networks, online mags, Google Reader, etc in a magazine/book format. I don't like to use the official Facebook or Twitter apps unless I'm forced to do so.
matteo
Mar 15, 2011 3:52 PM CDT
cant someone just find a way to do away with all the website !??
 

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