HP webOS Developer Blog is launching a series to get you to know the webOS Developer Relations team . The mission is to serve and champion webOS developers everywhere.
Meet the Team: Donald Kirker.
Q: To start things off, describe your main mission on the Developer Relations team.
I help to review developer applications that are submitted to the app catalog to make sure that they are launch ready, as well as help to clear any roadblocks that developers may encounter. I also help to connect developers who have submitted applications, or who may have questions, into the right teams within developer relations and engineering. During this process I help to keep an open line of communication for developers so that their voice can be heard.
Q: I know that having a team that personally works with every developer in our program is a special part of being a webOS developer. What do they appreciate the most in working with you and your colleagues on the team?
From my perspective, working so closely with developers allows me to see and feel what everyone else feels. I get to see what issues developers have, as well as what is working the best for developers. This close relationship allows developers one-on-one access to someone connected with webOS. This is something that is very unique for this part of the industry, and I think that is the best part.
Q: Tell us how you got into webOS – and what brought you to HP?
This is probably one of my favorite questions to answer. I have a long history with Palm/HP/webOS. I started as a PalmOS developer way back when I was a freshman in high school, in 2002. Later I would intern at Palm during the summer of 2008, just as webOS was born, and later in 2009. Then I rejoined HP this year, during April, to continue my work with webOS. I am still drawn to the platform and the people surrounding it because of the people I work with and because of the awesome community. The webOS platform, community, and teams that created this are truly unique.
What first brought me to webOS was my strong interest in web browsers. I had developed a web browser for the PalmOS back in high school and college. I was very excited when I learned about webOS for the first time. To me, my favorite company + a platform based on a web browser = AWESOME.
Q: What do you like most about being part of this team at this point in time?
Now is a very trying point in mobile history. Everyone wants their slice of the pie (and then some), and it leaves for a very unstable and rapidly innovating market. You don’t see this in many other industries, or even in other parts of Silicon Valley. The Developer Relations Team is one of the most committed groups of people that I have worked with. The commitment creates a sense of pride that makes this environment feel special, and makes work absolutely a blast.
Q: So this is actually not your first gig with the webOS team, correct?
Correct. As I mentioned before, I interned in 2008 and 2009 on the WebKit team, and then started in April 2011 back on the WebKit team. I moved over to Developer Relations in June 2011 to bring my understanding of the webOS platform and ecosystem a bit more external — to help developers publish their apps and understand technical issues that arise. I also wanted to be in a better position to help evangelize the platform.
Q: Let’s switch gears – what keeps you busy outside the world of webOS?
More technology — always technology. I am a technophile. I am always looking at problems and wondering how technology can improve them. My latest interest has been home automation and creating a “smart home” sort of environment. I am also very interested in web browsers, so I try to at least follow that sort of news.
When I can, I try to escape to San Francisco and roam around. Urban exploration is a lot of fun.
Q: Anything else you’d like to say?
It has been very awesome working with some of the finest people in the industry. As I mentioned earlier, this industry is changing rapidly, sometimes as rapid as hourly, and being able to work in the middle of it all has been absolutely amazing.
Source: HP webOS developer blog
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