-1 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: Lets talk about those API calls
Charging for all api requests equally is pretty dumb when your API is as poorly laid out as Reddit's is. Charge based on where you'd actually be losing revenue, not to check if a user has messages.
Just because a call doesn't generate revenue doesn't make it free. The price of the call batch is the average cost and opportunity cost worked together. Micromanaging every single individual call would be pointless, fruitless, and cost more.
Do you start trying to measure the efficiency of every line of code in every api call to determine cost? Do you then expose 1000 pricing skus to people using the api for each call, what it costs when parameters are X vs Y?
Comment by Meepster23 at 06/06/2023 at 19:01 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Well actually a lot of large apis do actually charge by function cost. Look up YouTube's API for example.
But no, what I'm suggesting is that the heart of the issue is the third parties driving traffic away from Reddit official and them losing revenue to it. Calls to check if you have messages for example are going to happen regardless. Either if the user is on the official app or a third party. Thode calls don't actually have any revenue potential tied to them. Rate limit those calls reasonably and don't worry about them.
The calls that have the potential to serve ads etc are where revenue is lost so charge for those since that's the real root of the issue