Tweetbot. April 2011 – January 2023 (tapbots.com)

Article summary

Tweetbot, a third-party Twitter client, was shut down after Twitter suspended access to its API without warning. The developers, Tapbots, had invested over 10 years in building the app. They are now introducing a new app, Ivory, for the Mastodon platform. The shutdown of Tweetbot has sparked discussion about Twitter's decision and its potential impact on users and the platform's ecosystem.

Main themes

• Twitter API shutdown
• third-party clients
• Mastodon and Ivory
• API policy and maintenance
• Twitter Blue and revenue
• user experience and preference
• platform development and iteration

What commenters say

• Twitter's decision to shut down third-party clients was a control move to force users to use the official app and increase Twitter Blue subscriptions.
• The move was unnecessary and shortsighted, as it could have been achieved by monetizing the API or introducing a revenue-sharing model with third-party clients.
• Killing the API may speed up product iteration, but it burns the existing ecosystem and sets a dangerous precedent for API policy.
• A public API can be maintained and updated without hindering product development, and Reddit's approach to versioning its API is a better alternative.
• The shutdown of third-party clients may be a reflection of Twitter's realization that Twitter Blue will never replace ad revenue.
• The decision was made without consideration for the impact on users who preferred third-party clients, and the lack of communication was a major issue.
• Twitter's public API was already lacking, and the shutdown of third-party clients will not significantly impact the platform's development.
• The move may be an attempt to prevent third-party clients from creating their own network with influential users.