Why Open APIs Fall Far Short of Open Source

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday February 15, 2012 @12:23PM from the all-due-credit dept.

itwbennett writes "451 Group analyst Jay Lyman opined in a LinuxInsider column that because of open APIs, 'non-open source software is often open enough.' Not so, says ITworld blogger Brian Proffitt. Sure, open APIs are an easy way for a small developer to 'plug into a big software ecosystem,' but it's a trap. 'If open APIs are the only connector to a software project, the destiny of that code lies solely in the hands of the owners,' says Proffitt. 'Which means that anyone connecting into the application will have to deal with the changes imposed from the top down.'"

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My black box is completely open by decora · 2012-02-15 12:37 · Score: 0, Offtopic

You stick your poo in one end, and out of the other end comes rainbows. I assure you there are no hidden APIs or undocumented features. Except for CALEA. Or that thing they are going to require in Canada. Or that thing that we set up with the Chinese Communist Party to promote harmonious communications amongst the people. Or that thing we did for Tunisia back when Ali was in power... anyways.