Since the App.net State of the Union announcement there have been many discussions about App.net, its success, and its ability to continue running. Regardless of those discussions and the fact that App.net remains a functioning service, I believe it is no longer an economically viable platform to build apps on.

So why would I continue to create a client application for a service that might disappear before it’s approved by Apple?

There are two important facts that allowed Prose to be finished: I have a stable “day job” and Prose is my first app. I started learning Objective-C at around this time last year and not until I was actually writing Prose did I really learn it¹. Prose is a passion project and regardless of sales, I have already profited from it: I know Objective-C, I know how to make an iOS app, and I am confident that my current knowledge will help me adapt as a developer (switching to Swift, for example).

What Comes Next

Just because I have shipped an app doesn’t mean I’m done with it. I wanted to make an iOS app and supporting it, fixing bugs, and shipping updates are all a part of that.

I wish I could promise to actively develop Prose forever but I don’t know App.net’s future and I won’t lie to customers. I’ll be using App.net until the API ceases to respond and I want to use Prose until that time comes.

What I can confidently say is that, as of now, I will continue to actively develop Prose. I have more features planned and I will fix bugs for as long as I can. If a time comes where I need to re-evaluate that statement I will let you know.

Follow @prose or subscribe to the Broadcast channel to get notified of updates. For a more personal touch follow me, @shawnthroop.