Kudos Jason Crist: Facebook AS3 API

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Ok…I’m following the herd and blogging about it yes but I have a different reason. Let’s get the basics out of the way:

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/facebook/

http://code.google.com/p/facebook-actionscript-api/

There we go. Now we can get down to business.

So, I 100% get the current scenario of the library…I really do. Heck, they even state it in the Project History section on google code.

The API was originally developed by Jason Crist and authored under the direction of Terralever, an online marketing firm with strength in Flash-based media. Although Adobe has taken over day-to-day management of the project, Jason still maintains a consulting role. Under the direction of Adobe, the highly experienced team of Flash and Flex experts from gSkinner.com have developed and architected the latest iteration of the API.

If you are looking for the deprecated code and samples, see the ‘tag/version2′ directory in the repository or search for files with the ‘Deprecated’ tag in the downloads section.

For questions and inquiries about this library, please contact Daniel Dura at Adobe Systems via email at ddura@adobe.com. Submit bug reports, patches, or feature requests via the issue tracker.

If you notice they give props to Jason Crist as the original developer. My issue is you won’t see mention of him anywhere else on the blogosphere. Yes, Adobe took it over (along with gSkinner folks) but it would’ve been great to at least give him a nod on the Adobe page. Otherwise it looks like Adobe started and finished it, which is what I thought when I first saw the page. I thought Adobe started their own along with Facebook but turned out…it was the API Jason has been banging on for years.

I asked Grant about it on Twitter after his tweet about it. He responded:

@johncblandii Yes, Jason Crist authored the original library, which we extended and polished. He is mentioned on the google code page.

I would’ve like to have at least seen him get the “wink and a nod” from Adobe. :-) So…anyways…it is what it is. My reason isn’t to complain but to give props to the OG of the Facebook API: Jason Crist. Woot! Arizona AS3 pimp in the house!! ;-)

I think it is great Adobe took the code and it is getting huge media, heck even Jason is happy about it. I remember when Jason started it (I had just met him and worked with him a bit [contracting] while he was at Terralever). Again…kudos Jason!

  • http://pbking.com Jason Crist

    Thank you for the shout out John! I must say your post has gotten me to think a little more about what I got out of this project. There have been others that have said that I’ve been unfairly un-compensated for my work on this project over the years. But I had to think about what I wanted to get out of this project; and what I ended up getting.

    I started working on this API just to do it. It was an interesting puzzle. I kept working on it and grew it into a public project to become better at what I do. And I did. I learned more from building this API than I did for any book I have ever read or any single project I had worked on before. That’s all I ever wanted out of this project; to use it as a tool to become better at my craft. Shoot, I never even USED the API. Not really. I just wanted to build something.

    And now it’s bigger than me. If nobody else in the world knows that the smattering of original code that remains was originally authored by me and came from my sweat and tears; well that’s OK. I got what I came for. The shout outs and emails from the people I actually know and are proud of me and what I did. That’s just icing on the cake.

    So thanks for the icing John! And thanks to everyone else that has offered a pat on my back.

    • http://www.johncblandii.com John C. Bland II

      Great response and it must feel great to have received what you wanted out of the project. I knew you wouldn’t have let them snatch it from you so I didn’t think it was a hostile takeover. ;-) hehe.

      You’re welcome on the icing and your Super Hero status just got a bump. ;-) Keep rockin’ man!

  • http://www.danieldura.com Daniel Dura

    Let me say that it was never our intention to make it feel like we were trying to take credit for the entire library, which is why we added the blurb on Google Code, and will make mention of Jason when we talk about the library in public. But unfortunately the general press only talks about what they want to hear.

    Jason is still maintaining a consulting role on the project, and as we move forward adding new APIs and functionality (yes, it is coming) then he will continue to be mentioned.

    We chose not to write our own Facebook library and use Jason’s because it was easy to work with and was the most polished. We don’t usually do something like this (usually we would just do it on our own), but Jason deserves the credit for impressing us enough to do so!

    • http://www.johncblandii.com John C. Bland II

      Thanks for responding Daniel. The general press is definitely going to run with it how they please. The Adobe page could’ve fixed that perception but it is a small matter, to be honest, but knowing he will continue to get his props is great news. ;-)

      Keep rockin’ it though! I’m sure you’ve gotten a lot of requests/messages about the authentication api. :-D