Permit me, if you will*, to demonstrate a bit of pride…

Recently, we had the opportunity to meet with a close friend, and phenomenal artist, Joseph Jestes. We, as a family, have had the distinct pleasure of having Joseph create our family portraits since the birth of Gabriella, now age 4.

I freely acknowledge, due to circumstances I will enumerate later, that I’m a bit more emotive than usual…but these photos simply make me smile, laugh a bit, perhaps weep slightly, and then smile again.

My co-workers, who have known of my neurosis now for some time, are beginning to wear thin at my showing them the photos repeatedly. So, instead of wearing their patience even more, I share them with a wider audience.

Thank you Joseph! Your work is greatly appreciated.

*or even if you won’t, for that matter

• FlowingData – Computer assisted design and the 9/11 Memorial
  June 20, 2011 – Date is important…Data is meaningful…Data is beautiful…and, data can be used to create something that unites all 3 elements.
• TechCrunch – Thinking Outside The Browser Box: Why Should Apple Play By Current Internet Rules?
  June 20, 2011 – This is a lengthy post…but it speaks to my own personal belief that native applications, supplemented by cloud services, are of extreme value. I say this while recognizing clearly the “perspective” issue discussed in another shared item.
• Seth's Blog – The professional's platform
  June 20, 2011 – This…”we remember what you did when you didn’t need us so urgently.”
• SaaS Blogs – Which Part of the Public vs. Private Cloud Elephant Are You Touching?
  June 20, 2011 – The concept of “perspective blindness”, as it relates to the public v. private cloud discussion, is compelling to me. The doctrinal, dogmatic debates about deployment methodologiest are, perhaps, simply a case of a fixed perspective colouring view.

• TechCrunch – How Google Almost Unintentionally Wrecked Our Apple Keynote Coverage
  June 10, 2011 – This makes me smile…
  “Now, for those who don’t spend their days caring about boring stuff like how WiFi works, just know this: the more WiFi spots you have in the same area, the harder it is to actually use any of those WiFi spots. Think of a router like a crazy shouting person. If there’s just one crazy shouting person, you might be able to figure out what they’re saying. Throw in another crazy shouting person, and it gets more difficult. Throw in 10 more, all speaking in different pitches and different languages, and it’s nigh impossible to pluck out a single intelligible word.”
• TechCrunch – No Chirp This Year, So Twitter Developers Holding Their Own Summit
  June 10, 2011 – If you aren’t spending time with the community that develops on your platform…they will address their needs alone.
  A lesson that every Platform provider learns at some point.
• Smallbiztechnology.com – Making the Sale on Point of Sale Software: A Short Guide
  June 10, 2011 – I find this article compelling…
  Not for the content but for the subtext. Each of the PoS systems highlighted is more than a simple cash register. The integration of inventory, eCommerce, with back office applications, etc…at a low price point…is what is motivating the purchase…
  it is, in fact, about more than just accepting payments.
• API Meetup – June 1 API Meetup: APIs and the Enterprise
  June 10, 2011 – I will blog aobut this event, in more detail, on Monday…but for now this is a great summary!
• The Financial Services Club’s Blog – Two out of five businesses switch banks due to fraud
  June 10, 2011 – This statistics is brain breaking: “43% of businesses said they have moved their banking activities elsewhere after a fraud incident”
• TechCrunch – Why Daily Deals Are Becoming A Raw Deal
  June 10, 2011 – Many, perhaps most, of you are familiar with the double-edged sword of daily deals…this article, however, sums up the situation nicely.
• Apigee Blog – Social Commerce as part of ‘Distributed Commerce’ through APIs
  June 10, 2011 – This is a compelling discussion of the modern worlds of commerce…I have been referring to these a customer “touchpoints”…but the point is well taken that the siloed approach to commerce is no longer sufficient.

This is a cross post from PaymentsAPI.com.

Recently, PYMNTS.com posted an interview with Retail Decisions entitled Fraudsters Take No Prisoners But Retail Decisions Can Strengthen Your Strategy for Prevention.

The entirety of the interview is just under 10 minutes, and I would encourage anyone who has interest in this topic to set aside the brief time required to listen.
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This is a cross post from PaymentsAPI.com. I rarely cross post…but this presentation is important to watch and something I will be discussing in the next several posts.

If the Messages From The Edge series is about translating, and communicating, the requirements of the software development community…then, perhaps, you will allow me a bit of leeway in interpretation in this post.

What does it truly “mean” when someone states they have developed an “API strategy”? What do you actually desire from exploring Open APIs for Payments?

In some situations it is a “me too” response to industry trends. In others, there is a desire to enable innovation through partnership with the software development community.

But the “API” is solely the tool that is leveraged…the purpose, and desire, is to build a community of developers who desire to leverage the tool.

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