Show HN: Retweet disabler/enabler (opens in new tab)

(retweet.rip)

43 pointswillcosgrove8y ago13 comments

13 comments

Hey HN! Thanks for checking this out! Sorry for the crazy permissions requirements, unfortunately I don't think there's any way around them. I also don't think there's anything I can do to assuage a highly skeptical person that I'm not a bad actor. But the code is here for anyone interested enough to look at it: https://github.com/willcosgrove/retweet-rip

The app also does not save the access tokens it gets back from twitter. They get thrown in a background job to be worked on, and once the job is done the access tokens are forgotten.

mrmondo8y ago

Is any further information available about how the app works before I authorise it to act as me on Twitter (change my profile, post tweets etc...)

willcosgroveOP8y ago

Unfortunately, permissions are only configurable on a read only or read/write basis. Since this app changes settings, it has to have the read/write permissions. I don't save access tokens, so it reauthorizes every time you click enable/disable. I just posted the code on github for anyone who's interested. Here is the link to the code that messes with your twitter account: https://github.com/willcosgrove/retweet-rip/blob/master/app/...

aglionby8y ago

Twitter's API permission levels are really coarse grained [0]. I assume it needs write access in order to change the timeline, but some more detail from the author would be nice.

[0] https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/basics/authentication/...

giosch8y ago

I was baffled by the absurd permissions it requires too! I guess I'm never going to try what "a world without retweets" is...

oneeyedpigeon8y ago

Someone posted this [1] during a similar discussion yesterday. It shows you what a world without retweets is like without requiring anything beyond the minimal permissions required to do so.

[1] https://readmeapp.stream/

maxehmookau8y ago

If you stop using Twitter, it becomes really obviously pretty much instantly.

SifJar8y ago

https://gist.github.com/M1ke/5541224

has two options for doing it without granting any permissions to a third party

kawera8y ago

Another option: https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/38200-twitter-engagement-m...

oneeyedpigeon8y ago

It should be possible for the permissions on the original to be very 'harmless' but, for some reason, the access requires 'can post tweets on your behalf'. That's a shame.

intellent8y ago

This is the most overdue feature of Twitter. Since ages.

I have no idea, why they do not offer a global show/hide retweets option. If you follow a couple of hundred accounts—like I do—having retweets enabled pretty much ruins your entire timeline.

patrickaljord8y ago

> I have no idea

Because it's in their interest to show you as much content as possible. Just guessing.

kimcosgrove8y ago

well done! :)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

13 comments

willcosgroveOP8y ago

The app also does not save the access tokens it gets back from twitter. They get thrown in a background job to be worked on, and once the job is done the access tokens are forgotten.

mrmondo8y ago

Is any further information available about how the app works before I authorise it to act as me on Twitter (change my profile, post tweets etc...)

willcosgroveOP8y ago

aglionby8y ago

Twitter's API permission levels are really coarse grained [0]. I assume it needs write access in order to change the timeline, but some more detail from the author would be nice.

[0] https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/basics/authentication/...

giosch8y ago

I was baffled by the absurd permissions it requires too! I guess I'm never going to try what "a world without retweets" is...

oneeyedpigeon8y ago

Someone posted this [1] during a similar discussion yesterday. It shows you what a world without retweets is like without requiring anything beyond the minimal permissions required to do so.

[1] https://readmeapp.stream/

maxehmookau8y ago

If you stop using Twitter, it becomes really obviously pretty much instantly.

SifJar8y ago

https://gist.github.com/M1ke/5541224

has two options for doing it without granting any permissions to a third party

kawera8y ago

Another option: https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/38200-twitter-engagement-m...

oneeyedpigeon8y ago

It should be possible for the permissions on the original to be very 'harmless' but, for some reason, the access requires 'can post tweets on your behalf'. That's a shame.

intellent8y ago

This is the most overdue feature of Twitter. Since ages.

I have no idea, why they do not offer a global show/hide retweets option. If you follow a couple of hundred accounts—like I do—having retweets enabled pretty much ruins your entire timeline.

patrickaljord8y ago

> I have no idea

Because it's in their interest to show you as much content as possible. Just guessing.

kimcosgrove8y ago

well done! :)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse