cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/513993

So today I clicked a twitter link because companies like to use it for official announcements, only to be greeted with a login page. Was annoyed then I remembered nitter exists. It just prompted me to install Privacy Redirect which I should have done ages ago.

Github: https://github.com/SimonBrazell/privacy-redirect

Chrome Web Store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/privacy-redirect/pmcmeagblkinmogikoikkdjiligflglb/related

Firefox Browser Add-ons: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/privacy-redirect/

Looks like twitter waited for the reddit API changes to do push this change to try to do it under the radar.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    311 year ago

    Elon posted this on Twitter (quoted from an private blog since I currently have no way to access twitter):

    Temporary emergency measure. We were getting data pillaged so much that it was degrading service for normal users! Several hundred organizations (maybe more) were scraping Twitter data extremely aggressively, to the point where it was affecting the real user experience.

    Lets hope that they lift this ban soon.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        291 year ago

        I’m definitely not using this platform anymore, but Twitter being private also locks away a lot of valuable content (including government announcements, as someone mentioned).

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            English
            221 year ago

            If the reason for the ban is massive server load due to content scraping for AI models, that could become an issue for the fediverse as well. Our infrastructure is funded by donations and has much less performance and resiliency than big tech companies.

            We might reach a point where the negative impacts on the environment caused by AI outweigh the benefits, just like it already happened with blockchains.

            • @[email protected]
              link
              fedilink
              English
              51 year ago

              If the reason for the ban is massive server load due to content scraping for AI models

              He’s not genuine whatsoever. I’ll believe this was the reason to lock Twitter when I see evidence of it. Remember how he wasn’t going to [layoff 75% staff; block payments for utilities / rent; cancel bonuses; etc]? Troll troll troll.

            • @[email protected]
              link
              fedilink
              English
              1
              edit-2
              1 year ago

              Might get to the point where anti-DDOS measures have to be used against AI scrapers.

        • mochi
          link
          fedilink
          31 year ago

          Governments should just set up a single user ActivityPub instance to broadcast their updates.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      221 year ago

      Reality: Musk has degraded Twitter’s performance to the point they can’t handle unauthorized access.

    • onepinksheep
      link
      fedilink
      181 year ago

      And that, Musky, is why sites generally provide an API and don’t lock it behind prohibitive pricing. Because the alternative is to scrape your site, and that’s more resource intensive for the site in question.

      • lucidwielder
        link
        fedilink
        11 year ago

        Obviously they don’t mind imo because it also slows them down to some degree and since normal users and uses for it will go down I imagine things will either be wash or still be cheaper for them. Also Elon clearly has ambitions to best others in the AI game - it is just the experts in the field already parted ways w/ his arrogant self.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      151 year ago

      OT but it amazes me at what point musk sounds like trump when posting lol, he really just is technotrump

    • soundasleep
      link
      fedilink
      12
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      If only there was some sort of reasonably-priced computer-readable service or platform that organisations could use to collect data without degrading the service of users…

      • lowdownfool
        link
        fedilink
        71 year ago

        Exactly. API users migrated to using scrapers instead of paying what NuTwitter wants for shitty service. Who could have foreseen that?

    • Nougat
      link
      fedilink
      121 year ago

      … data pillaged …

      Meaning … people were using your publicly available website?

    • @MsPenguinette
      link
      English
      41 year ago

      I’d bet $20 that it was actually just their platform just struggling to do normal traffic and elon wants to make it some sort of rallying cry for his sicophants

    • Haan
      link
      fedilink
      11 year ago

      Both Reddit and Twitter making sure their data won’t be used for training chat bots without a hefty price tag