Pownce finally unveils full API

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Blogging, iPhone, web 2.0

Pownce finally unveils full API

by Nik Fletcher Feb 29th 2008

After a long invite-only beta, and a recent general-public release, Pownce has finally released their full-blown API that allows 3rd-party applications to post to the Pownce service. Back in our initial run-down of Pownce, the lack of a complete API was one of our major criticisms of the initial launch, and the basic Pownce API that's been around for a fair while merely allowed 'reading' of API data, not the 'posting' of updates. This meant you had to use either the mobile or Pownce websites, or the Adobe Integrated Runtime application, which some of us are less than fond of.

For better or worse, competitor Twitter has always stayed ahead of Pownce with a more comprehensive API (something that in our opinion made the Pownce/Twitter debate a one-horse-race until now) and now that Pownce is fully open to the developer masses, it'll certainly be interesting to see what applications appear. Talking of which, the first that we've seen is a rather handy 'Pownce it!' bookmarklet for quickly and easily sending links to your Pownce account. Sweet!

Pownce developer Leah Culver, apologizing for the delay to the API, says "We've taken great care to provide the best experience for developers". Given Twitter's continuing instability, it'll be interesting to see developers put the Pownce API through its paces, and see whether Twitter's instability will eventually begin to undermine the API-headstart that's attracted so many users (not to mention developers) to the service.

[Tip of the hat to Download Squad alumnus David Chartier for pointing out the bookmarklet]

Tags: loss-of-productivity, pownce, twitter, what-are-you-doing

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

macaddict89 said 1:01AM on 3-01-2008

I hope this means moodblast will be able to interface with pownce. I love that program to death, and want it to post to all of my statueses thingys.

Although, my Jaiku doesn't work for some reason? Any moodblast developers reading these comments?

Grant Robertson said 2:48PM on 3-01-2008

Wow.. I'm kind of surprised to see Leah taking jabs at Twitter, that doesn't seem like the way to win. People know Twitter has been a yo-yo, you don't need to remind them when you're plugging your new hot API.

Not surprisingly, she said nothing of the sort at FOWA yesterday with Blaine from Twitter in the room. Shocking!

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