Will Manifold remove the ban on "automated use of the system" from its terms of service before the end of 2023?
TechnologyManifoldInternetProgrammingManifold FeaturesProgramming AutomationNew Year's Resolutions 2024
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resolved Jan 1
Resolved
NO

From https://manifold.markets/terms.html

As a user of the Site, you agree not to:

  • (...)

  • Engage in any automated use of the system, such as using scripts to send comments or messages, or using any data mining, robots, or similar data gathering and extraction tools.

This is seemingly at odds with their having a public API https://docs.manifold.markets/api


The market resolves "yes" if, before the end of 2023, the terms of service no longer ban "engaging in any automated use of the system", or anything similarly broad about API usage.

The market resolves "no" if that wording, or a similar one, remains in the terms of service by 2024.

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predicted YES

I created the market to motivate me to create an issue in the manifold repo asking about it ("why do you simultaneously offer an API and prohibit automated use of the system") but then I couldn't be arsed

predicted NO

The fact that they have an API (with limits and fees) is actually a great indicator that they don't want you to scrape the site rather than use said API.

You really think someone would do that?

Just copy a ToS template and paste it somewhere in their repo?

@Quinn This is a common tactic by less scrupulous companies. Put one thing in their ToS, then only enforce it selectively. Now if anyone uses their site in a way they don't like, they can go after that person and say it's because of the ToS violation, while leaving everyone else alone. Effectively gives them free reign to do whatever they feel like.

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