Originally Posted by wookiefriseur
API might be "private" but download scripts are not blocked and download links just use timestamps instead of nonces. That's why you can write your own download tool if Minion does not run on your system.
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No you can't. Section 4 of the Terms of Service explictly forbids this:
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You agree not to access (or attempt to access) any of the Services by any means other than through the interface that is provided by GGMODS. You specifically agree not to access (or attempt to access) any of the Services through any automated means (including use of scripts or web crawlers).
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Originally Posted by wookiefriseur
What exactly are you expecting from an API here? AddOn database queries and download links? That might be useful, but would require implementing personal API tokens and traffic limits, I guess. Because of the missing ad revenues.
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I came to this site for the question if there's a public API available, because so far I wasn't able to properly run Minion (using Linux) with their java build. Seems like this thread answers my question.
For an API, I would expect a web service or something similar, returning e.g. json files for queries like "a list of all available addons", "metadata details (version, author, release date, download link, etc.) of package xyz". Some of the information you can see when you browse the addon repository and which would be needed by an addon manager.
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Originally Posted by Bastion.NtB
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Originally Posted by Navarill
With a minimal understanding of IP and copyright law, combined with a glance at the ESOUI terms of service, it should be obvious that nobody is entitled to access the API. Simply put: ESOUI is private property and not yours or mine to take (in this context, "access" = "take").
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Private property hosting everyone else's addons. Don't forget that. ESOUI cannot exist without it's addon devs nor without the content they make. |
"Access" = "take" is really a big move here. You're not taking away anything from them. If you go to the Terms of Service page, there's a link Sites at the top, which lists the ~10 gaming sites, served by the owner of this site. So it's a not a small company that's behind this all. Atop the list is an ad to use
their Minion app.
No matter how the monopoly emerged in the end, not offering a public interface to query the data, and forcing people to a lock-in for their proprietary, deficient, closed-source addon manager, looks like a misuse of this monopoly. It's their chosing of course, whether they provide such a public API or not, but it tells something about the company behind it and how they want to treat their customers and also the providers of the content they serve, which are the addon devs. These are the people which produce the value for this company.
The argument of possible security breaches when publishing an API, isn't a valid argument either. They define the API, they can define what's accessible and what isn't. If they have fear of security issues, they can employ real developers which know about the pitfalls of web development. Not doing so, let's one assume, they don't want to make serious business, but rather want to rob the people (from their provided data, their addons, you name it).
The only solution would be to open up an additional site with a similar service and open, liberal interfaces. However, looking at the volatile and always fluid addon development community, it could be very hard to convince people to switch to another service. Also the game is some years old already, so the addon developers are usually a matured community which have settled with the way it is.
Knowing I'm not allowed to, and due to missing API couldn't even build an alternative addon manager is frustrating for me, because managing several dozens of addons manually isn't a fun play.