API Playground

As a developer evangelist who frequently works with other developer evangelists, we sometimes find it hard to get people to understand what’s awesome about APIs. I’ve gotten pretty good at API 101 – teaching people what an API is and how it can create opportunities for a company, but now I’m ready to move on and create the upper division course – API 201. How to play. How to really put these things together and make them sing.

In this course, I will let attendees play with existing prototypes, show them how to create their own using IFTTT and other technologies, and help people understand that while a mobile application for Twitter is fun, having Twilio robo-call your mom when she sends you yet another Snopes legend is awesome. Rube Goldberg is my hero. I plan to create all sorts of fascinating things – based on your travel plans, what time do you need to leave for the airport? You should get a text telling you to head out. When you’re at a conference and forget a connector, maybe there should be an app for you to keep a checklist in for future conferences. Visiting a new location? Where can you find a gluten-free cupcake? Did you exercise and stick to your diet plan? Well then, you should get to actually eat the cupcake too!

These and other ideas have been percolating in my brain for a while – along with the Kinect-driven cat toy that rolls the Sphero around after my hapless creatures. Everything I write will be available in GitHub in the Playshop repository. I’m not sticking to 3scale APIs, anything is fair game – and if you want to contribute your own silly ideas I’d love to have them. No rules, no language restrictions, except don’t be a dick (as Wil Wheaton would say).

Come help me build a sandbox so we can turn all the developers of the world into inspired, excited builders of applications that rock all our worlds!