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

(retweet.rip)

43 pointswillcosgrove8y ago13 comments

13 comments

13 comments · 5 top-level

mrmondo8y ago· 5 in thread

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· 2 in thread

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· 1 in thread

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.

willcosgroveOP8y ago

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.

kimcosgrove8y ago

well done! :)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

13 comments

13 comments · 5 top-level

mrmondo8y ago· 5 in thread

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· 2 in thread

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· 1 in thread

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.

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.

kimcosgrove8y ago

well done! :)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse