Around a couple of months ago my free geo API webservice took a massive daily hammering and required some serious intervention on my part to tweak a load of shit to keep 15 million + daily API hits from burning out my server.
I got it under control, and server load is a steady 2-4.
All the increase in hits was for the javascript geo API, which kind of sidesteps the freeloading "blocker" script, preventing servers from automating geo lookups to hound my service. Anyway, as they were JS lookups, they were end-user based, and as I had load under control, I let it be (not wanting to restrict the service to an API key).
In any case, I get lots of emails complementing me on the service and random as well as regular donations to let it go on as a free webservice.
So today I get an email from an astounded client saying he can't believe Google is plugging into the service with their wave offering.
On closer inspection, I found at least one plugin,
map gadget that the GWave developer API team added that uses directly my service (
raw code here.
I don't know whether I should be honoured or pissed off. Kinda angry I never even got an email telling me they were adding it, so expect big hits....
Anyway, not too hassled as the service is coping, but would have thought that the big G could afford to implement their own geo service into their own wave add ons!!
Skimmed milk anyone?!