How (not) to put your APIs in a freezer while implementing a Frankensite or an API Ghosttown. In this article we will investigate developer portal anti-patterns – common solutions to developer portal problems where the solution is ineffective and may result in undesired consequences. By Diliny Corlosquet.
Anti-patterns differ from bad practices when:
- It is a common practice that initially looks like an appropriate solution but ends up having bad consequences that outweigh any benefits.
- There’s another solution that is known, repeatable, and effective.
Regardless of the route taken to build a devportal: these anti-patterns occur as a direct result of tight deadlines, inadequate planning, or when the conceptualization of the devportal is oversimplified and underestimated.
The article then goes and describes following:
- How to (over) simplify a developer portal
- The anti-patterns of developer portals
- API Freezer
- Frankensite
- API ghost town
- Tyrannical toolchain
Assumptions that a developer portal is only for developers will lead down these routes. These types of sites also occur when one department creates a solution for multiple without taking into consideration that people of varying technical backgrounds will have a role to play. Good read!
[Read More]