##What are permissible requests "speeds?"

The API will cut you off if you make more than 30 requests over 5 seconds.

We consider this a breach of the interface contract, so you won't get a nice error back to respond to.  The exact manner in which this constraint is enforced can (and will, in all likelihood) vary over time.  Attempts to work around this limit will be consider [uncontentious use of the API][1].

Note that you can stay within this limit and still blow through an entire [app]s quota in less than 1/2 an hour.

  [1]: http://stackapps.com/questions/571/conscientious-use-of-the-api