REST on the WWW only works because humans read and interpret the results. Arguably, that’s not an API (Application Programming Interface) but a UI (User Interface).

I have yet to see an API that was improved by following strict REST principles. If REST describes the web (a UI, not an API), and it’s the only useful example of REST, is REST really meaningful?

> REST on the WWW only works because humans read and interpret the results.

This is very obviously not true. Take search engine crawlers, for example. There isn’t a human operator of GoogleBot deciding which links to follow on a case-by-case basis.

> I have yet to see an API that was improved by following strict REST principles.

I see them all the time. It’s ridiculous how many instances of custom logic in APIs can be replaced with “just follow the link we give you”.