Quick question: maximum web API update rate?

[Matthew Wann]

Hello, I just have a quick question, when using the API to provide spotter location information, is there a maximum permitted/recommended rate? For instance if I have a GPS device updating the position every tenth of a second, is that ok, or should it be throttled to be once a second? Once a minute? I'm working on a small program running on a RaspberryPi to automatically update SN position from GPSD and I know different places have different standards as to what they consider "flooding the network."

Thanks!

 

[Ben Holcomb]

Hi Matthew,

I wouldn't do it any more than once per minute. I believe the dots do it every 2 minutes anyway, so no real advantage to doing it every second, etc.

 

[Matthew Wann]

Thanks for the information. Sounds like once every two minutes is good enough. How long until SN regards a user as no longer active? I'm also considering trying to create a smart system that updates every two minutes when moving, but only occasionally when stopped to reduce network traffic.

 

[Ben Holcomb]

I think it's about 10-15 minutes, and then 60 or 90 minutes it marks you red.