Its Not Just About Doing APIs, Its About Having Conversation About APIs

Its always funny to come across the hyperbolic folks that exist in technology, that blindly believe that technology will save us. I seem to get attract a lot of these people with my API Evangelism (its the name), which on the surface I can imagine seems like I'm advocating use of APIS BY EVERYONE, in ALL SITUATIONS--when in reality, this is furthest from the case.

At API Evangelist, I focus on having conversations about APIs in all situations, but not necessarily the deployment or consumption of APIs. I don't think APIs by themselves are a solution. I think APIs employed by a savvy business and technology team, providing access access to valuable data, content and other resources to consumers, are a good idea. My missions is for:

  • businesses to understand how APIs can potentially benefit them, and change how they operate internally, with partners and the public at large and even influence how an entire industry operates
  • government of all shapes and sizes to know that APIs can help democratize access to public resources, empowering the public to help share the load of governing cities, counties, states / provinces and countries
  • every individual to realize the messages, photos, banking, location, and other information they depend on via their cell phone travels through APIs, and that they, the end-user has an important role to play

I do not want every business and object in our life to have an API and be connected to the Internet. I evangelize an awareness and healthy understanding of APIs by everyone, as well as sensible approaches to designing, deploying, managing and evangelizing APIs.

This is what happens at API Strategy & Practice. If we were just pushing APIs for everything, the name would be something like APIs - Do It! In reality the conference in Amsterdam next week will be a mix of business and technical folks, listening to the stories from API leaders, about their strategy and practices from their company trenches--taking what they learn back home to apply in their own businesses and organizations.

It makes me very happy that so many folks are waking up to the conversation, and it isn’t just happening in the US. We will be talking APIs in Amsterdam next week, as well as Berlin and Barcelona in May at API Days--spreading the conversation.