I've always believed that APIs on websites are more than just convenience - they're a way for corporations to exert control over the data they give out, sort of like DRM.
Back in the days of Twitter API fiasco (2012/2013) I was playing Mass Effect, and this little gem of wisdom stood out for me as something eerily relevant:
"Your civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays, our technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire. We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it."
(context without spoilers for those who haven't played the game: mass relays are devices that allow long-range FTL travel, left behind by a mysterious ancient civilization; every species in the galaxy finds a mass relay at some point, which leads them to discovering other species and becoming a part of galactic community)
Comments
Back in the days of Twitter API fiasco (2012/2013) I was playing Mass Effect, and this little gem of wisdom stood out for me as something eerily relevant:
"Your civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays, our technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire. We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it."
(context without spoilers for those who haven't played the game: mass relays are devices that allow long-range FTL travel, left behind by a mysterious ancient civilization; every species in the galaxy finds a mass relay at some point, which leads them to discovering other species and becoming a part of galactic community)