I need to learn how to program

[godix]

Some putz made a game of poke the cow. Then he charged a buck or so to customize the cow. A few months later, he's pulled in $20,000 or so.

I need to learn how to program facebook apps. Seriously.

Comments

It's just webapps

[ext_119048]

Nothing really that complicated, and services out there like Amazon Elastic Beanstalk make scaling to large numbers of requests easier. (Not easy, just easier.)

The harder question is whether you can live with the knowledge that you're ripping people off.

Well, actually, that's not that hard a question to answer.

Re: It's just webapps

[godix]

Ripping people off would be if they weren't aware of flaws they got with something. If I made a stupid kitty that goes 'Meow' when you click it, then charged $1 to give the kitty a hat, people are getting exactly what they paid for. I'd think these people are dumb as shit, but I wouldn't actually be ripping them off.

No, the harder question is can I, a programming noob, learn how to make a facebook app and can I, a relative facebook noob, figure out the FB popularity game enough to make money off it.

[doki]

Are you talking about Ian Bogost/Cow Clicker?

[godix]

That's the one. Although I was thinking about his expansion at the time which allows you to pay and give the cow various designs, like an all gold 'bling cow'.

I read an interview with him on a site other than his blog where he talks about being surprised it actually earned some money and said "I worry about Cow Clicker players, they shouldn't be playing Cow Clicker." The interview also mentions he doesn't really consider the game a success, it's peak was something like 50,000 users. But still, I could learn how to program FB games if I could get a few grand for something that stupid.