Shortly after Twitter announced it would start charging developers for using its API, company CEO Elon Musk has now somewhat abandoned that decision. Over the weekend, Musk tweeted that the following reply to some feedback (opens in a new tab)Twitter will provide a “lightweight API, written only for bots” as long as they provide “free and good content.”
The the original plan was to charge users about $100 a month to use the API, which is supposed to prevent “bot scammers and opinion manipulators” from abusing the software (and presumably making some money to pay off huge debts). giant of the platform). In response, there was an outcry from users who said the new rules would kill off a lot of useful bots and interesting, gimmicky accounts due to the hefty cost, up to $3,400 la a year, according to a developer. (opens in a new tab)
Who knows how this latest Twitter story will turn out in the end, as a lot about the platform remains unresolved at this point. But, if Musk stands by this new decision, your favorite gimmick Twitter account may continue to exist, and it’s all possible thanks to Pepito the Cat.
good content
Out of all the responses from this API issue, the only one that Musk directly replied to was one word @PepitoTheCat (opens in a new tab). The account’s moderators argue that the new rules could kill it, elevating its place in Twitter history (joined more than a decade ago) and that it posts “quality content at a moderate level.” highly interactive”.
Although the content in question is nothing more than the famous Pepito entering his house through a small cat door, it seems to be enough to make Musk think twice about changing the rules. Additionally, the CEO impulsively suggested giving verified Twitter users access to the API for “great content” similar to @PepitoTheCat, but didn’t elaborate further.
While it may seem a bit silly to focus so much on a gimmick account, it raises the question of what Musk considers “good content” in his eyes. The fact that he replied directly to @PepitoTheCat and not a developer pain (opens in a new tab) about how the changes would destroy research projects and work on the basis of his thought process suggestion.
That could mean that content involving animals or anything rather than milquetoast is considered good while accounts like @ElonJet are bad, despite not doing anything illegal. It’s hard to read anything because of how often Musk tipped off Twitter’s policies. In addition to the API, he also has a background journalists are prohibited and link to competitive social networking sites; Both cases were met with a series of backlashes.
Tons of questions
There are still a lot of questions in our mind like what does “lightweight, write-only API” look like and how will it compare to the paid version? It is still set to launch on February 9th. Also, will free bots created under the new rules be moderated? This can be a challenge since the company has laid off most of its employees. global censorship group (opens in a new tab).
We wanted Twitter to clarify, but the platform has no way for the press to contact them directly other than directly tweeting at Elon Musk – which we did. If Musk responds, this story will be updated later.
If you’re still looking for a way to fix that social media, be sure to check out TechRadar’s list Best Alternatives to Twitter.
