On 27/11/2007, Billy Abbott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Mon, 26 Nov 2007, Noah Slater wrote: > > > On 26/11/2007, Martin Belam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> But in this case, API would easily trump source code and > >> dictionary/thesarus with patches IMHO - API could react within minutes > >> to a sudden change in the significance of a term. Who would want to > >> wait 15 days lag for a patch to keep switching "McClaren" from being > >> primarily about Formula One, Steve or Malcolm > > > > Yeah, but what happens when the BBC has technical difficulties, > > changes it's mind about the licencing terms or is dissolved? > > > > Poof! The whole thing disappears! > > That's the reason why having open APIs that multiple sites conform to > strikes me as an excellent idea - if your provider of choice does up and > go away you can just switch the URL to another and off you go. It adds the > issue of users not being tied into a company's service and able to easily > switch to a competitor, but that's an incentive for them to make sure > that the service is good. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the way > that many companies like to run things these days...
Much in the same way that Intel and AMD produce processors with "the same"* instruction sets, it doesn't allow either company to monopolise the market. Both survive and both are enchanced by having the same "API" --billy > > -- > Michael Jackson is a terrorist. If you spot this smooth criminal with > dead, dead eyes, run the hell away. > Billy Abbott billy at cowfish dot org dot uk > - > Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please > visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. > Unofficial > list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > -- Please email me back if you need any more help. Brian Butterworth http://www.ukfree.tv
