On Sun, Jan 4, 2009 at 11:20 PM, Alex Payne <a...@twitter.com> wrote:
> > Getting worked up into hysterics about boycotts is just, as security > expert Bruce Schenier is fond of saying, "security theater". It's the > equivalent of an apartment building's tenants telling their landlord > they refuse to use keys because someone's place got broken into. > > Alex, sorry, but this is more than just security - this is getting ready to put a whole lot of businesses out of business, thanks to the lack of such a mechanism. Regardless of whether it's the solution or not (I still argue it would have helped), if users boycott, our apps don't get used. If our apps stop getting used, Twitter stops getting used. There are entire groups of users out there right now asking what apps could be the culprit. I've heard some mention my app. I've heard others mention TweetDeck. I've heard some mention Twhirl. All these apps, whether they have any chance of being the culprit (I realize they don't, but your users don't have any way of knowing - all these apps collected their passwords), all have the chance of getting cut off of Twitter here real soon by the users if something isn't done. Didn't you guys say at one point the majority of your traffic comes from the API? This is more than just not using keys - this is about telling the landlord you won't pay them for the month because they refuse to install locks. This issue is huge for us as developers, and I don't sense that urgency from Twitter. Jesse
