I'm trying to debug a tool that deals with profile pictures, but I am having difficulty with what is appearing in the API user data. Some background, with questions at the end.
I've tested with PNG and JPEG, and both are able to use the API to change a profile image, with quick response time and confirmed results on the web site. However, the data returned in the API user data for "profile_image_url" is both incomplete (no extension) and never changes, despite multiple uploads: * <profile_image_url>http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/ profile_images/98187860/phpbnQSdI_normal</profile_image_url> This is different than my own profile, which returns a URI to an actual file, with an extension. It is also odd that, regardless of how often or with which tool (API vs. web site), this value never changes. In the HTML source of the twitter profile page, an explicit URI pointing to the correct profile image is used (http://s3.amazonaws.com/ twitter_production/profile_images/257370741/ObamaAvatar_bigger.png) * Test account with changed picture: http://twitter.com/users/show/anonymous_.xml * My account without no changes: http://twitter.com/users/show/kmakice.xml One other oddity: This test account has a background image (not one that is currently used, but it still exists) that also lacks an extension. I believe I had changed it through the API, several month ago. That incomplete link, however, DOES resolve to a graphic. * Test account background image: http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_background_images/4987975/phpBhOnhz (unchanged) * Test account profile image: http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_images/98187860/phpbnQSdI_normal (changed) I thought perhaps the funky profile image URI would eventually resolve, but even after several hours, it didn't. (I have since conducted new tests, so the changes aren't that old anymore.) My questions: 1) Is this no-extension link in the "*_image_url" values a new format? Meaning, if I uploaded a new profile picture to my account, would it also have no extension? 2) Why doesn't the link in the profile_image_url change with each new upload? Thanks, Kevin
