[ravisarma]

The argument (like all "nobody is entitled" arguments) is self-defeating. If others are not to whine about X, what validates the author's whining about such others? What the author offers is an explanation of why corporations offer and revoke features like APIs. I think that is fairly well understood. That does not answer why others should not complain when that happens ("such is the world" is not an answer). It is as much a tactic of businesses to use pressure to open up APIs as it is a tactic of other businesses to offer or not offer them. What the spurned group are doing is really is making an appeal to the users of LinkedIn, etc, who are the "owners" of the data. Perhaps the author does not really wish to lecture others on entitlements, but means that such complaining is not effective. In which case, some data would help.

[monkeymace]

It is important be wary of the foundation you build your business on. If you are building the core of your businesses around another company's API service you should be prepared to offer concrete value to that service's users in a way that doesn't directly compete with the main service, or do anything to directly or indirectly promote their competitors.

And, if you go against that approach you shouldn't be surprised or indignant when you get shut down. You will have a much better chance building a truly complimentary product, rather then rallying users to boycott a service or demand changes in policy.

To me it's sort of like someone who always drives over the speed limit by at least 50mph, and one day they finally get pulled over and are given a ticket. But, because they were never 'caught' before, they just feel like they were entitled to always drive that fast, and instead of just paying the ticket, they try to get the speed limit laws changed, or to have a judge throw out their ticket and let them keep driving however they want.

When you use another company's API, you are driving on someone else's road, and for better of worse you need to play by their rules.

So if you want to drive fast with no consequences, build your own road. And if your interested in 'exploiting' or piggybacking on someone else infrastructure, don't do something to call too much attention to your self.

PadMapper - started providing other listings that were not from craigslist. GoodFilms - providing information and data to other movies services besides netflix Pealk - were undercutting the price point for LinkedIN premium features.