Let's build a better AirMessage community

When I started AirMessage, it was because I wanted to share what I created with the world. Today, I’m extremely grateful to have such an active and dedicated community. However, I feel like I haven’t been keeping up my end of the deal.

I’m sure for many of you, AirMessage feels like a black box. It has a lot of moving parts that all need to work together. It’s complicated, not only for you as a user, but for myself as a developer. This makes it all the more frustrating when you’re unsure of where the project is going, or aren’t receiving the support you need.

It’s time the community gets what it deserves. Here’s what’s changing:

• AirMessage has a new Discord server, for realtime communication between myself, community members, and new users who may need help.
• AirMessage has a new public feature and issue tracking board, for a bird’s eye view on what’s in the pipes.
• Updates will be posted on Reddit and on Discord a few times a month, not only for releases, but for development updates, feature polls, and anything I find interesting.

Why these changes?

AirMessage, as the kind of tool that it is, needs an active community to be the best that it can be. It should be able to adapt to its users with a wide variety of use cases, across a wide variety of platforms and devices.

AirMessage hasn’t had the proper kind of environment to foster this.

How can I justify submitting feedback if there’s no way to know what happens next, let alone what’s happening with AirMessage as a whole? How can I submit code changes, if I don’t even know what the developer wants?

I want AirMessage to be better for everyone. I want more visibility into the development process, so people can point AirMessage in the direction they want.

I want a lower barrier for myself and everyone to tell me what’s wrong with AirMessage, so we can work together more quickly to get it fixed.

AirMessage on Discord

AirMessage has a Discord server, for realtime organized communication about the project. If you have a small question, need help troubleshooting, or just want to chat, come swing by!

The server is run in a fairly relaxed manner, though I ask that you act respectfully towards other people and do not spam.

Any feedback on how to improve the Discord server is appreciated.

AirMessage on GitHub Projects

AirMessage now has a publicly accessible feature and issue tracking board. Here, you’ll find feature requests, bug reports, and an overview of everything that’s in progress.

It might take some time for the board to feel complete, but if you’re curious to see what features are on the table and what’s being worked on, go give it a look!

Community updates

Despite continued development, the last post I made on Reddit was 4 months ago.

I’m going to be updating the community more frequently about what’s going on with AirMessage. Specifically:

• What features are in development, in both showcase style and from a technical perspective
• Considerations for future releases, with opportunities for people to voice their thoughts
• Blog-style entries on my journey developing AirMessage: hurdles I encountered, techniques I learned

Let’s build a better AirMessage community!

This entire process is a journey for myself as well. Just as I’ve learned how to launch an app, I’m looking to figure out how best to build something that people feel is made both for them and with them.

If you have any thoughts on how I can run things more transparently, or make it easier to contribute or get help, I’d love to hear it.