It’s too bad that Yahoo and Google don’t have more robust APIs. I sincerely think that they bet on the fact that most people will fail to utilize the total allocated storage per user. Think of all the useful and novel services that could be offered if only they would allow application developers to programmatically access their most valuable resources.
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and for those of us that have to look it up due to our lack of techo-geek speak:
Abbreviation of application program interface, a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. A good API makes it easier to develop a program by providing all the building blocks. A programmer puts the blocks together.
Most operating environments, such as MS-Windows, provide an API so that programmers can write applications consistent with the operating environment. Although APIs are designed for programmers, they are ultimately good for users because they guarantee that all programs using a common API will have similar interfaces. This makes it easier for users to learn new programs.