On the IFTTT Kerfuffle

There has been a lot of brouhaha lately about IFTTT changing the way apps integrate with it’s service.

Pinboard wrote a blog post listing the reasons why they would stop supporting IFTTT because IFTTT requires changes to the way certain services, like Pinboard, connect with IFTTT. Maciej Cegłowski is taking a “Lazy and Heroic Stand” against doing work for free to benefit IFTTT. And Pinboard isn’t the only one.

On the surface, that sounds admirable, and several people are deleting their IFTTT accounts in protest.

But here’s the rub: Pinboard is a paid service. IFTTT is free.

Shouldn’t the guy with the paid service do the work to integrate with the free service?

Why is it up to IFTTT to tweak their system, for free, for hundreds of integrations? Doesn’t it make much more sense for those hundreds of integrations to each do a little work for their paying customers, rather than the free service doing all the work for their UNPAYING channels?

When an API changes on iOS or Android, app developers don’t throw a shit-fit and threaten to leave (usually). They pony up the work, and keep the app current for their customers. This is no different.

If you (or your company) don’t feel that IFTTT integration is worth the extra work, I totally get it. Stop supporting it, and move on. But don’t blame THEM because YOU feel like the other guy should work for free so you don’t have to.