There is a plan, to join the present with the past. I am going to rebuild a (more proper) API version of my app, AlertYoSelf.

AlertYoSelf was a little something I created while learning an earlier version of iOS. It made it to the App Store, and was actually downloaded a few times.

(Un)Fortunately, the code itself has been lost to time, unless Apple has a backup somewhere. It has not been available for download since 2019. I can objectively look back and admit the code design was not good…

The original idea was born of something we did when I was younger, and sometimes seen in movies. On a few rare occasions, we would request a friend call at certain time to create an excuse to get out of a situation, if needed. My thought was, instead of trying to coordinate with a person and hope they remember, why not create your excuse with a couple taps on an app?

The biggest mistake made was that it was built for iOS only, and not an agnostic API. All the logic was in the app, and Parse was used as the database connection. Parse was a database as a service, that was actually pretty good. The problem came when Facebook purchased them, and was shuttered. The potential of survival arose when Parse moved to open source. I tried this for a while, but given the constant modifications and code changes, lack of generating any revenue, and ongoing server fees, it did not seem practical to keep it running.

Since then, I have learned a bit. I can set up my own server and database with much more autonomy, on whichever service I prefer (and easily moved), without the intricate layering and complexity that came with Parse open source. One of the lessons learned is services can be wonderful, but you are at the whim of whether that service will exist tomorrow, or will still exist in a form that will suit your needs. Sometimes, learning to do it yourself can have long term benefits.

Back to the plan… I am going to revitalize AlertYoSelf in a stripped down form, utilizing FastAPI or Flask, for demo purposes. Something to present to prospective employers that I have built a thing. I do not want to remake the full fledged user sign up and verification, as it will not be exposed to the public. Just a simple interface to enter a number, and to get your notice.

AlertYoSelf will be simplified in the notification process as well. Previously, the user could choose between a text or a phone call. With the paperwork involved for the US A2P 10DLC Registration regulation, notifications are limited to calls.

As a creation note, I turned to outside communications because iOS did not allow any ways to mimic or activate an actual text/call notification from the phone itself.

Stay tuned for the AlertYoSelf slimmed down demo!