Yesterday I launched Tickertube.org, my first attempt at hosting a site using Amazon’s EC2 service. It’s a simple app, just an ever refreshing list of links from sites that write about telecommunications policy. I used to cover this stuff in DC, and I don’t really like using RSS readers, so it’s useful for me, if not anyone else.
But my objective isn’t to build a hit site. I just want to figure out Amazon’s toys. What I learned is that while they aren’t all that well documented, they can be a lot of fun once you figure out the basics. You’ll have to do more hands-on server configuration than you would with Google App Engine, but greater control does come with benefits.
I’d like to use Tickertube to woodshop a little in developing for smart phones. But since I don’t have an iPhone or Blackberry, I don’t have any way to test it out. Or a lot of motivation to get it done. But if somebody out there would like to use the site with a mobile device (and wouldn’t that be a shock!), just let me know and I’ll try to put in the extra time to adapt the HTML. Same goes if there are any feeds you’d like me to add the pool. Just shout.
Thanks to all the great tools that made this project easy. Besides Amazon, much love to Django, YUI and Feedjack.