Syrinx: Twitter Features vs User Requests
There is a constant balancing act going on for Syrinx development. I get plenty of great suggestions from users who have thought of things they would like Syrinx to do. On the other side Twitter is not a static platform, it is growing all the time. Just in the last few months they have added spamming, lists and retweets. Both of which require a significant time investment to integrate into Syrinx. So a balance has to be struck: features vs requests.
I tend to swing between theses two ideas, one release focusing more on small requests and UI tweaks, then back to adding another Twitter feature (be it old or new). This next release will include retweets, since currently folks are missing out on tweets that are retweeted using the new API. I would have liked to include lists as well, but that will require some more thought and time on my part and I want to get the retweeting functionality out to everyone.
I also get bug reports. These are very important, they are what keep Syrinx healthy amidst feature and request expansion. There are a lot of moving parts under the hood compounded by more moving parts in the UI, so all in all I’m bound to miss some bugs, especially in uncommon situations. Beyond the easily reproduced and fixed bugs are the quiet reclusive bugs that I cannot myself reproduce. One of the major problems with having a client that integrates with an online service like Twitter is that everyone’s timeline is unique. That means every instance of Syrinx out in the wild is encountering different inputs. When one out of a thousand users encounters a problem, it is all but impossible to reproduce on my end unless I hit that same condition.
All of these things fit into an equation which is dominated by my amount of free time. As home and work get more busy and require more time, Syrinx gets less time. Sometimes all of these factors meet and collide and Syrinx has to limp along missing functionality. This also leaves my other project, NameChanger, on the backburner. Since Syrinx is aiming at a moving target (Twitter), it demands more attention, even if I have lots of great ideas for NameChanger.
A new version of Syrinx, supporting the reading and sending of Retweets will be out soon as the march toward feature completion continues. Your patience is appreciated as Syrinx and I catch back up.