Is there some mechanism where by a startup, or any company for that matter, might provide some guarantee with their API that they will not change it? Some kind of legal contract that isn't so onerous that it must involve expensive lawyers for every single developer sign up? What amount of time for API support would be satisfactory?
Seems to me that Twitter sort of did this via a simple terms of use and that now they are making changes for new developers not existing ones. APIs are never going to last forever. I agree Twitter's new stance is bad for developers and users but the way they went about it seems reasonable to me. The why doesn't seem reasonable but it doesn't really matter. This isn't the great API apocalypse of 2011 though. I do not feel less discouraged to make use of APIs today than I did yesterday.
Well, yes, it's called.. a contract. An API provider could put their obligations in writing, though they would probably have to charge at least a small fee to make the contract stand.
But providers are not going to do that unless developers make it worth their while, and vice-versa. The economics of open APIs just don't support that kind of commitment on either end.
If you want to build a business around someone's free API, you better have a quick exit planned.
Yes, this is very normal in financial services, but it's not "forever". Rather "we will support API version x for y years" in writing, with cash having changed hands.
Seems to me that Twitter sort of did this via a simple terms of use and that now they are making changes for new developers not existing ones. APIs are never going to last forever. I agree Twitter's new stance is bad for developers and users but the way they went about it seems reasonable to me. The why doesn't seem reasonable but it doesn't really matter. This isn't the great API apocalypse of 2011 though. I do not feel less discouraged to make use of APIs today than I did yesterday.