major_redirection.rb

# lets say we change /repos/* to /repositories

# hardcoded urls
pull_response = RestCall.get("/repos/bob/rails8/pulls") # 301
pull_response = RestCall.get("/repositories/bob/rails8/pulls")
issue_response = RestCall.get("/repos/bob/rails8/issues/#{response.first['issue']}") # 301
issue_response = RestCall.get("/repositories/bob/rails8/issues/#{response.first['issue']}")

# hypermedia
pull_response = RestCall.get("/repos/bob/rails8/pulls") # 301
pull_response = RestCall.get("/repositories/bob/rails8/pulls")
issue_response = RestCall.get(pull_response.first["issue_url"])

# Even if saving one redirect isn't earth shattering, your client doesn't give a shit how my service mashes strings together to form URLs.
#
# * If pull_response is a 404, then you're going to have problems getting the Issue anyway.
# * if 'issue_url' isn't there, then the API is broken.
# * APIs should gradually evolve properties through media types or versioning 
#
# Side note: The GitHub API returns 404s instead of 401/403 to prevent security leaks.
# /repos/github/secret-project/pulls/1 should be a 404 for you, even though it may exist for other users that have access.
#
# I hope you're fortunate not to have that same concern in your API :)

no_url_help.rb

pull_response = RestCall.get("/repos/bob/rails8/pulls")
issue_response = RestCall.get("/repos/bob/rails8/issues/#{response.first['issue']}")
# either of these might 404

with_url_help.rb

pull_response = RestCall.get("/repos/bob/rails8/pulls")
issue_response = RestCall.get(pull_response.first["issue_url"]) # => oops, what if response is empty?

if pull_response.present?
  issue_response = RestCall.get(pull_response.first["issue_url"]) # => oops, what if response issue_url isn't there?
end

if pull_response.present? && pull_response.first["issue_url"].present?
  issue_response = RestCall.get(pull_response.first["issue_url"]) # OK!
end

Truth is, no matter what hints we provide, people are always going to be hardcoding API calls and mashing strings together. If you can at least make some people's lives easier, that's good. Ultimately it's not a big deal though. Things like documentation, and a commitment to not jerking your api consumers around is much more important.