You can avoid this problem both in the “opinionated” version of the API and the “REST” version of API. The key is to avoid non-idempotent operations like increment or decrement. Most “REST” designers will immediately notice that you are using POST and POST is not guaranteed to be idempotent. Most experienced RPC designers will also notice the non-idempotent method in the “opinionated” version. However, if you’d ask me, I would give the REST designer a better chance of noticing it.

Does this mean that “REST” is superior? Not at all. But it means that when you are offering your API over a relatively unreliable Internet to a large number of developers of varying skills, REST might give you an advantage.

This comment comes not from a REST fanatic, but from someone who worked with DCE RPC, DCOM, CORBA,and SOAP most of his career.