Yahoo Shuts Down Shopping API

nathan — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:58:15 +0000

Yahoo has offered one of the broadest ranges of API’s for developers. The breadth has made it possible for numerous entrepreneurs to build out supplemental incomes or be their own boss businesses. However, as they begin to realign their business and strategies they have begun to kill off the API’s that made them so popular with developer/entrepreneur. The recent end of life for the Shopping API and the backlash highlights the risks in providing API’s http://developer.yahoo.net/blog/archives/2010/01/yahoo_shopping_api_announcement.html and the impact it has when you find API’s don’t offer value to the bottom line. They may have offered growth but that growth becomes a risk as costs overcome generated revenue. Many have lost their faith in Yahoo as an API end point and have begun looking for business continuity through other partners. My own thoughts go to other businesses that offer API’s that other small business rely on to make money, for example Twitter or Facebook for that matter. At what point does that provisioning become a risk and how is it addressed? What models are in place, what needs will there be in the future? Limitation on calls? Pay-for-provisioning? Revenue sharing? The model will be heavily dependent on the nature of the business. If the API provides direct revenue to the provider then it would be possible to pay people for API usage not charge them. Citysearch does this, but are there other businesses that could do the same?

nathanfish.com » API

Yahoo Shuts Down Shopping API