Full Instapaper API now available

[Hagelin]

From the Terms of Use:

Apps may not use users’ Instapaper data or other personal data in any way that a reasonable person would likely deem “creepy” or otherwise unacceptable. Instapaper reserves the right to decide whether an app’s usage of users’ data is creepy.

[ludwigvan]

I believe it's related to this article by Gruber: Creep Executive Officer

http://daringfireball.net/2010/08/creep_executive_officer

[tomjen3]

I was quite happy when I saw this, as I have been using a different unofficial client to use my Instapaper account on my Android app.

Unfortunately one of it's nicest features is the ability to sync and download it's content in the background. I am very disappointed to see that the api tos especially for forbid this.

Combine this with the ability of sites to opt out of Instapaper and the prohibitation against automatically adding things to the user account from an rss feed and my use for Instapaper has pretty much disappeared.

I understand the need for Marco to make money on this, and I hope you make so much money of this that you can swim in it, but frankly the way to do this is not to deliver a crippled service - it's to charge what you are worth, which is far more than one dollar.

The only reason to charge one dollar is to make it to the top of the iphone sales charts. It's not really a viable strategy anywhere else.

[pixelcort]

Looking at the terms of use, I couldn't find any prohibiting downloading its content for offline use. As I understand it, there appear to be two semi-related rules:

* Don't make multiple simultaneous API calls.

* Each thing added must be a result of a specific user action. I'm not sure whether this applies to things retrieved from the API.

Also, the dollar per month is for the subscription service, not the purchase of the Instapaper iOS app. Current Instapaper for iOS app users do not need the subscription service, but users who use apps that use this new API will.

[BSeward]

API access for subscribers only is a really interesting idea. I'm curious how it will play out. Are there examples of other apps using a similar scheme?

[samstokes]

The Spotify API has the same restriction.

[makeramen]

Simplenote (YC 10) uses a similar throttled API http://simplenoteapp.com/premium/

[bruceboughton]

Remember the Milk

[statictype]

I like the option he chose.

This has the effect that non-iPhone users who want an instapaper client on their phone will have to have a subscription and possibly pay for the mobile app.

In a sense, having an iPhone is akin to having a free subscription (at least for now)

[maguay]

Yes, I think that's the only problem ... Now Instapaper iOS users will be worried that they will have to pay for a subscription in the future.

[hung]

This is a very interesting compromise. I wonder if it will have the side effect of confusing users who are not subscribed (and may not even realize what "subscription" means). It could backfire especially if a third party paid app is released. "What do you mean I have to pay for a subscription? I paid for the app!"

Still, a smart move for keeping Instapaper profitable (or at least to keep the API from eating at Instapaper's profits).

[true_religion]

They should have an API for creating subscription accounts with an already registered credit card.

That way 3rd party apps can create new keys and issue them to their users transparently.

[dreyfiz]

The fact that cheapskates will complain is no reason not to do it.

[pixelcort]

Yay! We can now finally have an offline Mac client.

[larrywright]

I've always hoped Marco would do this on his own, but I can't fault him for focusing his time where he does.

[nigelsampson]

Damn, literally as I read this article my mind was working on how quickly I could build a Windows Phone 7 app to take advantage of this.

Turns out not quick enough. I think this is the best way to approach an API for non VC backed start ups.

[petercooper]

I wonder how much of this was sped up due to Readability's rapid march into Instapaper's territory (e.g. https://www.readability.com/publishers/api/)

[smbwrs]

Considering the fact that Marco is an advisor, and the upcoming Readability iOS app is "powered by Instapaper", I'd assume not much.

[cobralibre]

Readability may be marching into Instapaper's territory, but by all reports, Marco is welcoming them with open arms and a bouquet of flowers:

http://www.marco.org/3044068415

[albemuth]

I clicked on this thinking it was Instagram, I'm still waiting to hear back on the dev API registration :(