That is, Twitter is planning to monetize by making their product worse, and they don't want anyone offering a service on the level of what Twitter used to offer.
All of this would have been better had Twitter just started off by slapping ads on their service and making it clear how they were going to protect it. Instead, they've grown their userbase (at least among the technorati) by asserting that they weren't going to pursue the exact model they seem so ardently chasing now.
Sure, 3rd party app devs might be "suckers" for having latched on early, but I don't think that excuses Twitter for such a (to use a Gruberism) dick move.
Pedantically nitpick much? ;)
While there is no proof that this would achieve a required level of success, had Twitter been doing it for years, they would have learned a ton, and made a lot of money.
Using Twitter accounts to connect to their community and run ads could still be tried, and a level of balance found. (They can respond to inquires from a separate account that accepts no followers so it's replies don't show in anyone's timeline.)
IMO if they have to add some inconveniences to their product to make some dough, I have no problem with that. They have a company to run and sometimes you have to make hard decisions.
I just wish they were more upfront about it than their present passive-aggressive demeanor.
Where is my ability as a user to pay for the API and use whatever heck I want to access it?
http://www.happybuy.com/blog/2011/crossing-the-line-twitter-...