Earlier today we reported on Pownce improving its API, and how this combined with suspected stress on Twitter from SXSW might be the chance for the upstart microblogging platform to move up in the rankings. Well, Allen Stern of Center Networks brings to our attention that today's planned outage (6PM - 8:30 PM PST, March 1st), is actually intended to address this very scenario.
In an effort to prepare for the suspected onslaught from the multimedia conference, Twitter is tweaking their existing servers this evening, as well as adding safeguards to prevent behavior they deem to be abusive. What exactly constitutes abusive is a bit too vaguely described by administrators, but they say those that have "been scraping Twitter or consuming public API feeds unfairly, (should) be prepared for an unpleasant surprise."
In further tweaks, they will be reducing the number of API scrapes per hour from 70 to 50 from March 6th to March 12th. The feeling is that this reduction shouldn't impact third-party applications too drastically, and it is only for this limited time period.