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"This series is supported by PayPal X Innovate 2009, PayPal\u2019s first dedicated developer conference. Register for $49 with the code ppblog3 or join us at $50 if you are a student.\nAs a developer, you have a lot of choices when it comes to how you attack a project.  From programming languages, like Ruby and Python, to development frameworks, such as Rails and Django, to deployment environments, like Amazon EC2 or Google App Engine, there is a wide range of options to get the job done.\nBut over the last few years, social media sites and their application programming interfaces (API) have spawned what we like to call \"developer ecosystems.\"  These are communities centered around building applications on top of more popular services, such as Twitter or Facebook.  Social media APIs have been responsible for adding a new layer of functionality to popular services and have spawned a new era of innovation.\nWhich developer ecosystem should you program and hack for, though? In order to help you answer that question, we've written up a brief overview of four different ecosystems, from Facebook to Google Wave.  This knowledge will hopefully help you better understand your options.\n1. Facebook\n\n\n\n\nIn 2006, Facebook launched an API to allow developers to interact with the social network, but that wasn't the point at which Facebook really became a developer ecosystem.  That actually occurred in May 2007, with the announcement of the Facebook Platform.  \nSince then, tens of thousands of apps have been built on top of the Facebook Platform.  And, along with Facebook Connect, it has become a very enticing ecosystem for developers.  Here is an overview of the platform:\n\n- Active since: August 2006 (launch of the first Facebook API)\n- Number of applications: 350,000+ Apps (on top of that, there are 15,000+ websites utilizing Facebook Connect)\n- Interesting stat: FarmVille, the most popular app on Facebook currently, has over 60 million monthly active users\n\nReasons to develop Facebook apps:  According to Jesse Stay, a well-known social media developer and founder of SocialToo, the big reason to develop apps for Facebook is its sheer size: 300 million users and counting.  And since Facebook is built on personal connections, personalized games and apps are appealing to users.\nTip for developing Facebook apps: Get to know Facebook Connect.  It's quickly become a very powerful platform for integrating Facebook data with your web app, as well as a new way to create viral distribution.  You can learn more on the Facebook Developers website.\nThe most difficult issue developing for Facebook: Jesse believes that one of the most difficult issues to overcome when developing for the Facebook platform is figuring out how your preferred programming language integrates with the Facebook API.  Some APIs won't be available for some languages, so get to know your specific language's library.\n2. iPhone\n\n\n\n\nIt's been barely over a year, but the iPhone app ecosystem has exploded.  Maybe it's the fact that people are willing to pay for applications, maybe it's the billions of apps sold, or maybe it's that so many unique things can be created using the accelerometer, GPS, camera, and other iPhone features.  Regardless, building iPhone apps has become wildly popular.\nStill, even popularity doesn't mean that it's the right platform for all developers.  Apple has some specific and stringent rules about apps, and it can take weeks - if not months - to get an app approved.  Even then, there is the issue of the race to the bottom.\nSo what are the pros and cons to developing iPhone apps?  Is it something you should do?  Let's take a look.\n\n- Active since: July 2008\n- Number of applications: Over 65,000 as of August 2009. Estimated to surpass 100,000 by the end of 2009.\n- Interesting stat: There have been more than 2 billion iPhone apps sold as of September of this year.\n\nReasons to develop iPhone apps: There is money to be made in the iPhone app market.  Unlike most other applications, users are willing to pay for their apps (even if it's only $0.99).  It also provides you with possibilities not available in almost any other developer ecosystem.  Perhaps that's why it's quickly becoming one of the most popular gaming platforms around.\nTip for developing iPhone apps: Instead of one tip, we have 6 tips on developing better iPhone apps.  Narrow your focus, build a better user experience, choose your approach, use the right tools for the job, test incessantly, and understand the app store process so you successfully ship.\nThe most difficult issue developing for the iPhone: There is a lot of uncertainty dealing with Apple.  Apps can be rejected for seemingly random reasons, and you can rarely pinpoint when you'll be approved or launched.  Building an app also doesn't guarantee success - it takes a lot of luck and promotion to get to the top of the app store and stay there.\n3. Twitter\n\nIn a few short years, the Twitter development ecosystem has exploded from a small niche to a mainstream phenomenon.  Part of it is due to the nature of Twitter: it lacks many features in its pursuit for simplicity.  This has created an opening for thousands of developers to fill the holes.  \nNow there are Twitter apps that do everything from let you manage your Twitter account on-the-go to analyze tweets for real world trends.\nFirst, here are some stats on the Twitter development ecosystem:\n\n- Active since: Near the launch of Twitter itself\n- Number of applications: \"Tens of thousands of apps,\" according to Twitter\n- Interesting stat: Nearly 80% of Twitter usage is through third party Twitter Apps (data via TwitStat)\n\nReasons to develop Twitter apps: Unlike Facebook, Twitter doesn't have 300+ million users.  Instead, it has momentum, excitement, and virility, which Jesse Stay believes is the best reason to develop an app for Twitter.  It's a \"great opportunity\" to build and promote an app in a very short amount of time, and because of that momentum, a Twitter app can go from zero to millions of users in a matter of days or weeks.\nTip for developing Twitter apps: Prepare for Twitter to go down at any time.  Twitter has had stability issues for a while now, so making sure that your app isn't a broken heap of code when there's an issue with the API is key.  \nThe most difficult issue developing for Twitter: Twitter is fast-growing, which means that it's fast-changing. New features, such as Project Retweet and Twitter Lists, are being launched all the time, requiring you to adapt.\n4. Google Wave\n\n\n\n\nSome have declared it the successor to email.  Others believe it is an overhyped mess.  That's right, I'm talking about Google Wave, the search company's new real-time communication platform.  It has captured the attention of millions with its wiki-like features and its ability to embed apps within waves.\nIt is by far the newest developer ecosystem around (meaning there are a lot of risks and unknowns surrounding it), but it is generating a lot of excitement. I've even had the chance to play around with some of my own gadgets and extensions.  Here's a quick outline of developing for Wave:\n\n- Active since: May 2009\n- Number of applications: No official numbers have been released - it's just too new\n- Interesting fact: Wave is the only platform out of these four that will be completely open source\n\nReasons to develop Google Wave apps: There are a few good reasons to develop for Wave.  One is for the experimentation: it's simply a new platform with new possibilities.  It's also simple to port over OpenSocial apps to Wave.  However, if you're looking to build a viable business with revenue, Wave isn't the answer, at least not yet.\nTip for developing Wave apps: Get familiar with the Google App Engine, because you need it in order to develop Wave apps. \nThe most difficult issue developing for Wave: As developers have told us before, it's just so new.  It's still in the \"preview\" phase, meaning there will be a lot of changes to Wave before any public product makes its appearance. Be prepared for a very tumultuous environment with no guarantee that it will succeed as a platform at all.\nOther Developer Ecosystems\nWhile these four developer ecosystems may have the size and/or momentum, they are clearly not the only ones.  Flickr, MySpace, Yahoo, Google Android, and many others have their own extensive set of APIs that allows you to reach millions of users.\nThis means you have a lot of choices when it comes to development.  Choosing the one best suited for you really comes down to your passion.  If you aren't a fan of Twitter, then don't try to create a Twitter app - you won't put in the effort necessary to make it great.  On the other hand, if you're beyond excited over the possibilities of the iPhone, then just dive right in and see where it leads you.\nSeries supported by PayPal X Innovate 2009\n\nPayPal X Innovate 2009 is PayPal\u2019s first dedicated developer conference. Here you\u2019ll have the absolute inside track on how to capitalize on all of PayPal\u2019s products. Learn from hands on tutorials about PayPal APIs and listen to keynote from industry luminaries including Tim O\u2019Reilly and see showcase of cool developers. Register for $49 with the code ppblog3 or join us at $50 if you are a student.\nImage courtesy of iStockphoto, strmko"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2009/10/21/developer-ecosystems/>