diff --git a/zulip/zulip/__init__.py b/zulip/zulip/__init__.py
index 196cfbe10..6e671c4b0 100644
--- a/zulip/zulip/__init__.py
+++ b/zulip/zulip/__init__.py
@@ -266,6 +266,12 @@ def get_default_config_filename() -> Optional[str]:
                          "  mv ~/.humbugrc ~/.zuliprc\n")
     return config_file
 
+def deprecated_request(request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    if request is not None:
+        logger.warning("Passing parameters as a dictionary will be removed in future versions.")
+        return request
+    return {}
+
 def validate_boolean_field(field: Optional[Text]) -> Union[bool, None]:
     if not isinstance(field, str):
         return None
@@ -1072,7 +1078,7 @@ def deregister(self, queue_id: str, timeout: Optional[float] = None) -> Dict[str
             timeout=timeout,
         )
 
-    def get_profile(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def get_profile(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         '''
             Example usage:
 
@@ -1082,7 +1088,7 @@ def get_profile(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None) -> Dict[str, Any
         return self.call_endpoint(
             url='users/me',
             method='GET',
-            request=request,
+            request={**deprecated_request(request), **kwargs},
         )
 
     def get_user_presence(self, email: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
@@ -1109,21 +1115,21 @@ def get_realm_presence(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
             method='GET',
         )
 
-    def update_presence(self, request: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def update_presence(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         '''
             Example usage:
 
-            >>> client.update_presence({
+            >>> client.update_presence(
                     status='active',
                     ping_only=False,
                     new_user_input=False,
-                })
+                )
                 {'result': 'success', 'server_timestamp': 1333649180.7073195, 'presences': {'iago@zulip.com': { ... }}, 'msg': ''}
         '''
         return self.call_endpoint(
             url='users/me/presence',
             method='POST',
-            request=request,
+            request={**deprecated_request(request), **kwargs},
         )
 
     def get_streams(self, **request: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
@@ -1228,22 +1234,22 @@ def update_user_by_id(self, user_id: int, **request: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
             request=request
         )
 
-    def get_users(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def get_users(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         '''
             See examples/list-users for example usage.
         '''
         return self.call_endpoint(
             url='users',
             method='GET',
-            request=request,
+            request={**deprecated_request(request), **kwargs},
         )
 
-    def get_members(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def get_members(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         # This exists for backwards-compatibility; we renamed this
         # function get_users for consistency with the rest of the API.
         # Later, we may want to add a warning for clients using this
         # legacy name.
-        return self.get_users(request=request)
+        return self.get_users(request=request, **kwargs)
 
     def get_alert_words(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         '''
@@ -1278,14 +1284,14 @@ def remove_alert_words(self, alert_words: List[str]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
             }
         )
 
-    def list_subscriptions(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def list_subscriptions(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         '''
             See examples/list-subscriptions for example usage.
         '''
         return self.call_endpoint(
             url='users/me/subscriptions',
             method='GET',
-            request=request,
+            request={**deprecated_request(request), **kwargs},
         )
 
     def add_subscriptions(self, streams: Iterable[Dict[str, Any]], **kwargs: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
@@ -1329,14 +1335,14 @@ def get_subscription_status(self, user_id: int, stream_id: int) -> Dict[str, Any
             method='GET',
         )
 
-    def mute_topic(self, request: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def mute_topic(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         '''
             See examples/mute-topic for example usage.
         '''
         return self.call_endpoint(
             url='users/me/subscriptions/muted_topics',
             method='PATCH',
-            request=request
+            request={**deprecated_request(request), **kwargs},
         )
 
     def update_subscription_settings(self, subscription_data: List[Dict[str, Any]]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
@@ -1486,72 +1492,72 @@ def get_subscribers(self, **request: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
             request=request,
         )
 
-    def render_message(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def render_message(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         '''
             Example usage:
 
-            >>> client.render_message(request=dict(content='foo **bar**'))
+            >>> client.render_message(content='foo **bar**')
             {u'msg': u'', u'rendered': u'<p>foo <strong>bar</strong></p>', u'result': u'success'}
         '''
         return self.call_endpoint(
             url='messages/render',
             method='POST',
-            request=request,
+            request={**deprecated_request(request), **kwargs},
         )
 
-    def create_user(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def create_user(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         '''
             See examples/create-user for example usage.
         '''
         return self.call_endpoint(
             method='POST',
             url='users',
-            request=request,
+            request={**deprecated_request(request), **kwargs},
         )
 
-    def update_storage(self, request: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def update_storage(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         '''
             Example usage:
 
-            >>> client.update_storage({'storage': {"entry 1": "value 1", "entry 2": "value 2", "entry 3": "value 3"}})
-            >>> client.get_storage({'keys': ["entry 1", "entry 3"]})
+            >>> client.update_storage(storage = {"entry 1": "value 1", "entry 2": "value 2", "entry 3": "value 3"})
+            >>> client.get_storage(keys = ["entry 1", "entry 3"])
             {'result': 'success', 'storage': {'entry 1': 'value 1', 'entry 3': 'value 3'}, 'msg': ''}
         '''
         return self.call_endpoint(
             url='bot_storage',
             method='PUT',
-            request=request,
+            request={**deprecated_request(request), **kwargs},
         )
 
-    def get_storage(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def get_storage(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         '''
             Example usage:
 
-            >>> client.update_storage({'storage': {"entry 1": "value 1", "entry 2": "value 2", "entry 3": "value 3"}})
+            >>> client.update_storage(storage = {"entry 1": "value 1", "entry 2": "value 2", "entry 3": "value 3"})
             >>> client.get_storage()
             {'result': 'success', 'storage': {"entry 1": "value 1", "entry 2": "value 2", "entry 3": "value 3"}, 'msg': ''}
-            >>> client.get_storage({'keys': ["entry 1", "entry 3"]})
+            >>> client.get_storage(keys = ["entry 1", "entry 3"])
             {'result': 'success', 'storage': {'entry 1': 'value 1', 'entry 3': 'value 3'}, 'msg': ''}
         '''
         return self.call_endpoint(
             url='bot_storage',
             method='GET',
-            request=request,
+            request={**deprecated_request(request), **kwargs}
         )
 
-    def set_typing_status(self, request: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    def set_typing_status(self, request: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, **kwargs: Any) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         '''
             Example usage:
-            >>> client.set_typing_status({
-                'op': 'start',
-                'to': [9, 10],
-            })
+            >>> client.set_typing_status(
+                op = 'start',
+                to = [9, 10],
+            )
             {'result': 'success', 'msg': ''}
         '''
         return self.call_endpoint(
             url='typing',
             method='POST',
-            request=request
+            request={**deprecated_request(request), **kwargs},
         )
 
     def move_topic(
diff --git a/zulip/zulip/examples/create-user b/zulip/zulip/examples/create-user
index 1ac6b9c8d..805bd4ff1 100755
--- a/zulip/zulip/examples/create-user
+++ b/zulip/zulip/examples/create-user
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ options = parser.parse_args()
 
 client = zulip.init_from_options(options)
 
-print(client.create_user({
-    'email': options.new_email,
-    'password': options.new_password,
-    'full_name': options.new_full_name,
-    'short_name': options.new_short_name
-}))
+print(client.create_user(
+    email = options.new_email,
+    password = options.new_password,
+    full_name = options.new_full_name,
+    short_name = options.new_short_name
+))
diff --git a/zulip/zulip/examples/mute-topic b/zulip/zulip/examples/mute-topic
index a10514712..ea26d17d2 100755
--- a/zulip/zulip/examples/mute-topic
+++ b/zulip/zulip/examples/mute-topic
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ OPERATIONS = {
     'unmute': 'remove'
 }
 
-print(client.mute_topic({
-    'op': OPERATIONS[options.op],
-    'stream': options.stream,
-    'topic': options.topic
-}))
+print(client.mute_topic(
+    op = OPERATIONS[options.op],
+    stream = options.stream,
+    topic = options.topic
+))