Comments on: Guest post: Is There A Way Back From Free? http://colinwalker.me.uk/2008/07/guest-post-is-there-a-way-back-from-free/ Asking the awkward questions so you don't have to. Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:26:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: jablan http://colinwalker.me.uk/2008/07/guest-post-is-there-a-way-back-from-free/comment-page-1/#comment-416 jablan Tue, 29 Jul 2008 05:11:59 +0000 http://colinwalker.me.uk/?p=189#comment-416 This is slightly apropos...<br><br>When eBay introduced their API way back in 2001 it was completely free.<br><br>As people started using it more and more, they realized that the organization couldn't sustain the costs of operating the API (hardware, software improvements, and personnel) while it remained free. So they began charging per API call. The initial cost was something like $3.00 US per 1,000 API calls. <br><br>For companies like mine (at the time) who were making money from these calls, it wasn't an issue. But the smaller, possibly more innovative users were squeezed out. That, to me, was unfortunate.<br><br>In any case, eBay waffled several times on charging and tried a few hybrid schemes. I think at this time, a majority of the API is free, but support costs money. And they have placed usage restrictions on certain calls.<br><br>So maybe Twitter can learn from eBay a little? This is slightly apropos…

When eBay introduced their API way back in 2001 it was completely free.

As people started using it more and more, they realized that the organization couldn't sustain the costs of operating the API (hardware, software improvements, and personnel) while it remained free. So they began charging per API call. The initial cost was something like $3.00 US per 1,000 API calls.

For companies like mine (at the time) who were making money from these calls, it wasn't an issue. But the smaller, possibly more innovative users were squeezed out. That, to me, was unfortunate.

In any case, eBay waffled several times on charging and tried a few hybrid schemes. I think at this time, a majority of the API is free, but support costs money. And they have placed usage restrictions on certain calls.

So maybe Twitter can learn from eBay a little?

]]> By: jeffsonstein http://colinwalker.me.uk/2008/07/guest-post-is-there-a-way-back-from-free/comment-page-1/#comment-415 jeffsonstein Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:59:53 +0000 http://colinwalker.me.uk/?p=189#comment-415 I think you are quite right about the possibilities to differentiate between the simple individual Web-based front-end use and a "premium" API access service. I am putting together a seminar for the Fall here at RIT which should address some of these ideas, and input/particiapation is more then welcome (see <a href="http://streamer.rit.edu/%7Ejeffs/MSIT/SocNets/">http://streamer.rit.edu/~jeffs/MSIT/SocNets/</a> ) jeffsonstein I think you are quite right about the possibilities to differentiate between the simple individual Web-based front-end use and a “premium” API access service. I am putting together a seminar for the Fall here at RIT which should address some of these ideas, and input/particiapation is more then welcome (see http://streamer.rit.edu/~jeffs/MSIT/SocNets/ ) jeffsonstein

]]> By: Mark Dykeman http://colinwalker.me.uk/2008/07/guest-post-is-there-a-way-back-from-free/comment-page-1/#comment-414 Mark Dykeman Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:49:59 +0000 http://colinwalker.me.uk/?p=189#comment-414 Eventually they'll need an ongoing source of revenue or to be acquired. Eventually they'll run out of steam. Some form of monetization seems inevitable, either through premium services or the like. Eventually they'll need an ongoing source of revenue or to be acquired. Eventually they'll run out of steam. Some form of monetization seems inevitable, either through premium services or the like.

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