Former Microsofty, Lenn Pryor, who now works for Skype would like developer feedback for the creating the ultimate Skype API and Developer’s Program:

If you could change the rules of what developer programs do, how they interact with you, the way they treat you, the levels of support they offer you, what would you change? If you could wipe MSDN off the slate and start over, what would the dream be?

Save for the potentially spicy MSDN comments, I would say an example of a really well executed API is the Yahoo API. That developer area has the basic information for the REST calls laid out along with some basic, somewhat practical examples. Here’s some more specific dream requests:

1) I think it’s very important to provide a solid SDK which includes example code — as close to real world as possible — in as many different languages as possible. Having a bunch of “Hello World!” stuff might be the standard but that isn’t all that helpful. Be sure to address PHP, all .NET flavors (at least VB.NET), ASP, Perl, Python, Cold Fusion, Java, etc. Don’t forget the new languages if at all possible.

2) Clear, concise documentation. So much of the docs out there (not all of them, of course) are so written poorly that developers have come to expect subpar and even vague documentation.

3) Promotion for applications created by third party developer. If, for example, I take the time to produce something for Skype, what is the developer area going to do to help me promote and drive traffic to this application? Something, nothing, anything?

4) A flexible, fair and clear pricing (royalty) structure for commercial applications. What will require a charge from developers, what will not? And how much?

5) Enough daily API calls, where applicable. Anything less than a few thousand API calls per day is problematic for doing anything worthwhile. Again, Yahoo focused on 5,000 calls per day which is a pretty flexible number. Google’s API has 1,000 calls which can be inadequate for some programs.

6) Blog for updates with RSS feed. A Wiki might be nice too for developers being able to add their own apps produced. If there are multiple feeds then roll an OPML file and let us choose which feeds I’m interested in and can easily import into my RSS aggregator. If necessary, hire some good writers/bloggers to write about the various APIs and provide free sample code to illustrate how to do various things to work with the API. Or if there isn’t enough need to hire full time positions then commission articles from developers who can produce good tutorials, code snippets and examples and pay them accordingly. This type of material is quite valuable.

7) Whatever I’ve forgotten to list and/or readers and developers add through comments or trackbacks. This list is rough and off the top of my head and I’m sure after I’ve published this and/or looked at the next new API from Publisher XYZ I’ll think of more imporant ideas.

BTW, this sounds customer adventure related to me because if a company creates an API then the API customers are developers. So, that’s why I stuck this in the customer adventures category. I very much like the fact that a blog is being used to stimulate this type of developer-to-developer conversation. I’d use the “T” word but I think that word is way overused.

Smart move, Lenn!

Did this post make you go hmm?

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