(Late) Introductions

I often feel like these "who am I" blog posts are a bit self-serving and egotistical. But as PockeTwit gets more and more users I finally decided that some people might benefit from knowing a bit more about where it comes from. And since I haven't actually posted anything on the blog in a while, it would at least add some filler.

First things first -- I am not associated with Google in any way. Yes, the project is hosted on Google's servers, but they provide free hosting and source control for any open-source projects. As much as I'd LOVE to work for Google Labs, they still haven't contacted me with that sweet job offer yet.

Second, it's just me. There's no "Team PockeTwit" or startup corporation or anything like that. Just one guy who was feeling a bit bored and decided he needed a hobby project. Some folks like to pretend their software comes from a nameless company and has a staff to support their user's every need (yeah, I'm looking at you TwitPic!). Not here. I answer the emails. I answer the tweets. I write the code.

Which brings me to the final bit -- Why? I do it because it's fun. I had finished a previous project experimenting with writing .NET for my phone and wanted to try another. The iPhone 3G had just come out and everyone was excited about twitter for the iPhones, but the apps for Windows Mobile just felt drab. And since none of them were open-source, I couldn't just try to work on a new UI as a contribution. So I started my own. Then somehow I'm 64 releases into it!

So there you have it. PockeTwit is just a small one-guy project. Yes, I embrace the "beta culture" of software because I'm just doing it for the hell of it. And it's great that your hobby can generate something other people can use and enjoy.