Back(?) at work.
Ok, so we're back from Macworld. Well, I'm not actually "back," as I've discussed at length. But Tim and Drew and Mike are.
Tim and Mike got deathly ill after a week of running around and partying non-stop. I guess I should feel bad for them, but I've really having trouble generating the necessary amounts of pity. Tim's still out sick, so he hasn't resumed work on v1.5 yet, but he got a great start on it back in December (before we got distracted getting some Tiger demos ready). Right now it'll hit a bunch of servers automatically, but it does NOT yet go to the 'correct' server first (based on the EAN) not does it yet have the ability to add in data from auxiliary servers when a primary server returns 'partial' results. (Eg, hitting IMDB after hitting Amazon for movies, to get more complete star names.) For IMDB in particular, there's an extra problem -- their stuff isn't free. We're going to have to license it to use it. I know lots of other apps use IMDB anyways, but we're popular enough now that we're a huge target; if they sued us we'd be in BIG trouble, having knowingly infringed on a copyright.
Hey, here's a thought: since Amazon owns IMDB, why doesn't Amazon update its database to contain the information from IMDB? (Answer: Who knows? But our Amazon support guy is really great, so we'll be pinging him about this over the next couple months.)
Right now Mike's working on a new version of our embedded store that will allow people to buy scanners AFTER they buy a license (revolutionary!) and will allow us to offer "family packs," while at the same time being even simpler than the current store. He's really anxious to start Delicious Library 2.0 and Delicious Secret Squirrel 1.0 (not its real name), because in 1.5 he doesn't have much to do. His input into 1.5: "Hey, can you make it so it just figures out in which country it should look up items without involving any UI? Ok, great. Let's see... now I have no UI to design, so I think I'll sit here and eat chips."
No, that's not true; Mike almost never eats chips. You should see him tear through fried tofu, though. He's like that tasmanian devil from the old Warner's cartoons.
The new store should be in 1.5. This store is NOT going to have the competitive upgrade licenses any more, so if you still want them (yes, I'm talking to both of you out there), get 'em now. Or, really, sometime before mid-February.
--
Mike and I have talked a lot about Delicious Library 2.0 on wired.com and slashdot.com, respectively. I'd like to weasel a bit here and point out that although we have a ton of lofty goals that we're calling "2.0," not all of them will actually be in "2.0" the product. We'd love it if they were, but PLEASE don't buy the app based how cool you think 2.0 might be. If you like what 1.0 does, buy it now, and if you think 2.0 sounds like the first version that will be useful to you, then go ahead and wait. We have enough money now to fund 2.0's development, so (barring unforeseen circumstances lawyer talk blah blah blah) you're gonna see a 2.0. Even if I die tomorrow, Tim's so on the ball that he could do 2.0 by himself and it'd be pretty darn good. Actually, he'd probably end up making a lot more money that way, too, so this whole "me dying" thing would really work out for him.
--
Drew started answering support e-mail in earnest again, so if you wrote us over Macworld or shortly before, don't despair. Remember, we're a tiny company, but we have lots of heart.
I worked all weekend and yesterday merging in Tim's changes to 1.5 to the stuff he fixed for 1.1, so when we release 1.5 it won't be a big step backwards, bug-wise. (I've been working on the store, so you guys haven't really seen much from me. Except for the link-to-Amazon buttons in the table view -- those are mine.) So, now the code's all ready for him to go, when he's un-sick again. He claims he'll be ready by tomorrow. I told him, "Look, just concentrate on getting better, because the most important thing is that if you don't check in some code by Wednesday at noon I'll fire your butt." That's just the kind of boss I am!
I've got another day or so of doing store back-end maintenance, then I'm working on 1.5 full-time with Tim. This'll be the first time both of us are working full-time on the same project, so I think we'll get a ton done in the next month. Or, we'll kill each other. I hope the former. I really want 1.5 to be the halo release for the 1.x series, but that means it has to be really solid.
Tim and Mike got deathly ill after a week of running around and partying non-stop. I guess I should feel bad for them, but I've really having trouble generating the necessary amounts of pity. Tim's still out sick, so he hasn't resumed work on v1.5 yet, but he got a great start on it back in December (before we got distracted getting some Tiger demos ready). Right now it'll hit a bunch of servers automatically, but it does NOT yet go to the 'correct' server first (based on the EAN) not does it yet have the ability to add in data from auxiliary servers when a primary server returns 'partial' results. (Eg, hitting IMDB after hitting Amazon for movies, to get more complete star names.) For IMDB in particular, there's an extra problem -- their stuff isn't free. We're going to have to license it to use it. I know lots of other apps use IMDB anyways, but we're popular enough now that we're a huge target; if they sued us we'd be in BIG trouble, having knowingly infringed on a copyright.
Hey, here's a thought: since Amazon owns IMDB, why doesn't Amazon update its database to contain the information from IMDB? (Answer: Who knows? But our Amazon support guy is really great, so we'll be pinging him about this over the next couple months.)
Right now Mike's working on a new version of our embedded store that will allow people to buy scanners AFTER they buy a license (revolutionary!) and will allow us to offer "family packs," while at the same time being even simpler than the current store. He's really anxious to start Delicious Library 2.0 and Delicious Secret Squirrel 1.0 (not its real name), because in 1.5 he doesn't have much to do. His input into 1.5: "Hey, can you make it so it just figures out in which country it should look up items without involving any UI? Ok, great. Let's see... now I have no UI to design, so I think I'll sit here and eat chips."
No, that's not true; Mike almost never eats chips. You should see him tear through fried tofu, though. He's like that tasmanian devil from the old Warner's cartoons.
The new store should be in 1.5. This store is NOT going to have the competitive upgrade licenses any more, so if you still want them (yes, I'm talking to both of you out there), get 'em now. Or, really, sometime before mid-February.
--
Mike and I have talked a lot about Delicious Library 2.0 on wired.com and slashdot.com, respectively. I'd like to weasel a bit here and point out that although we have a ton of lofty goals that we're calling "2.0," not all of them will actually be in "2.0" the product. We'd love it if they were, but PLEASE don't buy the app based how cool you think 2.0 might be. If you like what 1.0 does, buy it now, and if you think 2.0 sounds like the first version that will be useful to you, then go ahead and wait. We have enough money now to fund 2.0's development, so (barring unforeseen circumstances lawyer talk blah blah blah) you're gonna see a 2.0. Even if I die tomorrow, Tim's so on the ball that he could do 2.0 by himself and it'd be pretty darn good. Actually, he'd probably end up making a lot more money that way, too, so this whole "me dying" thing would really work out for him.
--
Drew started answering support e-mail in earnest again, so if you wrote us over Macworld or shortly before, don't despair. Remember, we're a tiny company, but we have lots of heart.
I worked all weekend and yesterday merging in Tim's changes to 1.5 to the stuff he fixed for 1.1, so when we release 1.5 it won't be a big step backwards, bug-wise. (I've been working on the store, so you guys haven't really seen much from me. Except for the link-to-Amazon buttons in the table view -- those are mine.) So, now the code's all ready for him to go, when he's un-sick again. He claims he'll be ready by tomorrow. I told him, "Look, just concentrate on getting better, because the most important thing is that if you don't check in some code by Wednesday at noon I'll fire your butt." That's just the kind of boss I am!
I've got another day or so of doing store back-end maintenance, then I'm working on 1.5 full-time with Tim. This'll be the first time both of us are working full-time on the same project, so I think we'll get a ton done in the next month. Or, we'll kill each other. I hope the former. I really want 1.5 to be the halo release for the 1.x series, but that means it has to be really solid.
posted by Wil Shipley at 7:08 PM
6 Comments:
So let me get this straight...you guys are gonna try your hardest to get imdb in v1.5...that would be absolutely awesome!
The lawyer in me reels at the phrase "try [our] hardest." I guess what I was trying to say was, I think it's important architecturally that we are able to hit other databases, but even if we solve the technical issues associated with hitting an HTML-only data source with no fixed API, I mostly doubt we'll be able to get a license agreement with IMDB in time for 1.5.
That said, yes, we'll be working on it. If I were a betting man, though, I'd bet against everything working out for IMDB in 1.5. We're on a TIGHT time budget here, and contracts always take longer than code. If we fail to get IMDB we're going to try to incorporate some non-Amazon data source, if only so that we can make sure our new architecture doesn't have any hidden Amazon-only assumptions that will bite us later.
And, as always, we're not really willing to commit to adding any particular features or doing any particular release. The things I discuss in this blog are just the things I'm HOPING to do, and should never, ever influence your purchasing decisions. My opnions may not even line up with what Mike and Tim want to do.
Wil -
Are you planning support for the Library of Congress? That might be easier to accomplish before iMDB, especially since it's free (I think). It would also be useful for those older books that Amazon just doesn't list...
I missed ya at Macworld. Then again, I didn't get invited to any parties either... =(
--- CG
what you said:
Drew started answering support e-mail in earnest again, so if you wrote us over Macworld or shortly before, don't despair. Remember, we're a tiny company, but we have lots of heart.
What I say: I'm not even sure you're getting my emails. They keep coming back to me, even after 5 day's of trying. Both your site email address and the Feedback form (they might be the same?).
BTW, my wish list of one item: Ferget IMDB (although that would be nice)... contrive a way to get the CDDB servers to start including pictures and ID3 tags, or create your own P2P system to allow DL users to share their own movie information. I'd be willing to scan my covers once if that meant that others wouldn't have to, and I had access to theirs.
I sure would like to see some way of tapping the Library of
Congress number also, because not everything is at
Amazon and not everything has an ISBN. Also, if you could somehow obtain the Dewey decimal system number it would help vastly in being able to orgaize one's home library (mine is very big). I bought the program as well as your scanner. It worked OK but I had to reformat my drive and lost everything. Back to square one. I sure am glad I got that scanner. I'm one of those who could not send you email (bouncing). I hope this gets through.
Any chance of an Australian library for music ? The current libraries give almost a 100% not found for Australian CD releases...
Post a Comment
<< Home