I just got back from Netroots Nation 2017, where I gave a training on the NGP VAN API, together with my colleague Sandy Gani. You can find the code we discussed here.

I was lucky to have a number of fascinating conversations, which have given me a lot to think about with respect to the state of progressive software. Here’s what’s on my mind coming out of Atlanta; hopefully I’ll have a chance to dive into some of these topics in more depth, soon.

  1. Activism requires a social infrastructure. It’s all well and good to write software that makes distributed activism easy, as I have been wont to do. But activists need more than technology, they need a social infrastructure: they need to know they are part of a larger effort, or they will really burn out. How do we make this sort of support network readily available, alongside the latest in canvassing technology?
  2. Bulk APIs are the future. Everyone is buzzing about them! NGP VAN has a bulk API, which is webhook-driven and had been put to good use by enterprise clients for a little while now. We also have a bulk data product which relies on database replication - not exactly my wheelhouse but somewhat close to it. Can we make these products still easier to consume for developers? Will other vendors follow suit or will we see different approaches proliferate? Are there still other mechanisms available for manipulating data on bulk, without affecting system performance?
  3. Semantics vs mechanics, and interoperability. The industry has made a choice to standardize around API mechanics, rather than data semantics. I do not think there is really such a great deal of difference between these approaches - it’s mostly down to the complexity of code you write in the client, and maybe some philosophy about the nature of knowledge and the like. The question I have is, does it really matter - can systems with feature sets that are always evolving and competing against one another ever truly interoperate, and, once you drill down into the details, would that really be desirable?
  4. Text is sizzling. Everyone is excited about the new one-on-one SMS broadcast offerings from Hustle and RelayTxt, and I think these apps are poised for dramatic growth. Whether we see branching out from these core offerings into related services and mobile-first features is very much an open question.
  5. Absence of underrepresented voices. I am sorry to say that the lion’s share of these conversations were with white guys like myself. I am always eager to hear from people who don’t look like myself, but it’s pretty easy to stay inside one’s own bubble, even with good intentions. That is a huge problem. Certainly an area where I can improve personally, and one where I’m always keen to hear suggestions for growth.

If you were at Netroots, I’m really curious to hear your thoughts! And if not - all the more reason to get in touch!

Image courtesy of Krishnam Moosaddee