What it's happening with the API program

[+simonech]

Hi,

does anyone know what it's happening with the API program?

No new access token released since more than a year, and now also the list of 3rd party app disappeared.

And on top of this, the official apps suck...

 

What's happening?

 

Simone

[+HHL]

Hi,

does anyone know what it's happening with the API program?

No new access token released since more than a year, and now also the list of 3rd party app disappeared.

And on top of this, the official apps suck...

 

What's happening?

 

Simone

 

My uneducated guess is: there are issues with your browser.

The site http://www.geocachin...obile/partners/ is working as expected.

 

Hans

Edited December 9, 2014 by HHL

[+Walts Hunting]

I wonder if he actually means no new apps allowed Api access.

[+ecanderson]

List at the mobile partners site is interesting. Was certain that c:geo was still very much alive and had been using the API interface for quite some time, not a web scrape. No? Or list just out of date?

[+HHL]

List at the mobile partners site is interesting. Was certain that c:geo was still very much alive and had been using the API interface for quite some time, not a web scrape. No? Or list just out of date?

 

C:geo never was a trusted partner.

Have a look on their FAQ (more a kind of propaganda than information):

Why does c:geo not use Groundspeak's public API ?

Let us answer this once and for all in one place. But let's start with basics.

 

There is very simple reason why us and Groundspeak can't sync. We are a FREE, opensource application, they are a corporation. We give our software for no money, they would like to make profit with a service. They don't like what we do, we don't like what they do. It's like fire & water, cat & dog, hell & heaven.... [...]

 

Frohes Jagen

Hans

Edited December 21, 2014 by HHL

[+ecanderson]

Not knowing what financial issues there are with usage of the Groundspeak API, it's hard to know if their concern is/isn't legit. If c:geo is trying to maintain this app as freeware, they really can't afford to be paying for API access, so if Groundspeak is charging either a substantial licensing fee or a per-hit charge of some sort, the disconnect between the companies would be completely understandable.

[Keystone]

Let's use this forum for discussing the API and its authorized partners. c:geo is an unauthorized application whose developers turned down the opportunity to become an API partner on the same terms as GSAK, Project GC, etc. Feel free to debate their choice in their forums. Thank you.

[+ecanderson]

OK. Let's try this to help me understand. Is it within the realm of reason to attempt to provide a free mobile application that incorporates the gc.com API without embedded advertising, asking for donations, or other revenue generator without losing money? In other words, what's the cost structure to a developer?

Edited December 23, 2014 by ecanderson

[+chillypenguin]

It's not about cost, it's about principles.

“free software” is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of “free” as in “free speech,” not as in “free beer”.

[+ecanderson]

My last question had nothing whatsoever to do with 'principles'. It has to do with whether a particular business model is possible within the framework of a Groundspeak API contract. Only Groundspeak can answer that with any authority.

[+scarhill]

The API license agreement is still online. I haven't reviewed it in detail, but I don't see any indication that they charge for API access. The business model seems to be to encourage users to buy premium memberships by limiting access for basic users.

 

Note that the API partners page includes open source apps, and the c:geo FAQ entry quoted above indicates that their objection to using the API is mostly that their users would have to buy premium memberships in order to continue using c:geo.

 

Cachebox is an open source mobile application that uses the GC API. They do ask for donations (as do many open source projects). I don't know if they embed advertising.

 

Jim

 

OK. Let's try this to help me understand. Is it within the realm of reason to attempt to provide a free mobile application that incorporates the gc.com API without embedded advertising, asking for donations, or other revenue generator without losing money? In other words, what's the cost structure to a developer?

[+scarhill]

I'd also like to hear the answer to this. I had an idea for a app that would use the API, but if there's no way to implement it legitimately I won't bother. Is there someone from Groundspeak who can comment on whether they have any plans to open up API access again?

 

Hi,

does anyone know what it's happening with the API program?

No new access token released since more than a year, and now also the list of 3rd party app disappeared.

And on top of this, the official apps suck...

 

What's happening?

 

Simone

[+Gaim]

Yes, same here. I have an idea for an app but without API I won't bother. I emailed to Groundspeak half a year ago and they told me there were no plans to reopen the API. I'd like to know if the situation changed.