Ask HN: What are you working on?

Recently "finished":

eproject - file/buffer grouping for emacs, http://github.com/jrockway/eproject

cperl-mode for MooseX::Declare - http://github.com/jrockway/cperl-mode/tree/mx-declare

On my agenda:

Emacs/LLVM; compile Emacs to LLVM bitcode, link with extensions written in arbitrary LLVM langauges. Right now, even my simplest attempts immediately segfault, so it is on hold for a while. http://github.com/jrockway/emacs

(Once this works, I want to make ECL run on LLVM. Then we can write Emacs extensions in a real programming language. I hear Python compiles to LLVM now also, so that's another option. Eventually Perl will too.)

HTTP::Engine refactoring; removing unnecessary metaclasses and adding support for requests inside preemptable coroutines: http://github.com/jrockway/http-engine (A threaded web server without the disadvantages of threads.)

Persistent application framework: http://github.com/jrockway/eventful (Generic foundation for web applications, TCP servers, IRC bots, ...)

Persistent command-line application framework: http://github.com/jrockway/app-persistent (Make your slow-starting Perl application start up instantly.)

Path::Class replacement based on Forest::Tree::Pure: http://github.com/jrockway/data-filesystem (I also have a binding to make a Data::Filesystem tree into a FUSE filesystem.)

Once this yak shaving is out of the way, I have a few applications to write:

Filesytem::Kindle - plug in your Kindle and see the books as unencrypted HTML (this one is going to be released anonymously, you didn't hear this from me, I was never here...)

PleasureChicken - email / im / irc message consolidator, indexer, data extractor. The idea is to let the computer read your messages for you, so you don't have to. When you buy something from Amazon, it will stick the UPS delivery date in your calendar, and remind you that you just spent $300 on your Amex. When your boss IMs you at 3am with the word "broken", play a sound. etc., etc. This might be a hosted service one day, as well. http://github.com/jrockway/pleasurechicken

Angerwhale 2 - A weblog for programmers that doesn't suck. http://github.com/jrockway/angerwhale-ng (See also: http://github.com/jrockway/angerwhale for the old version.)

Unfortunately, my time is being taken up by menial $work_tasks, which distracts me enough to not get much done. But that should all be ending soon.

Formerly: 2 years at Publictivity as founder/CEO

Now: Ramamia.com co-founder with Mark Bao. Part time side project, but may make it full time. Also, CTO of MIT Enterprise Forum in florida (nonprofit).

more: jasonlbaptiste.com

Think B2B, for example. The iPhone (and the others - Android, Palm, Blackberry), combined with the app store model provide two things: 1) users effectively get a handheld computer which always has internet access, and 2) developers get much more access to these mobile devices than carriers have traditionally allowed. Pick an industry - what does this allow them to do that they couldn't before? (ideally, something that is difficult to do with a simple mobile version of a website). Chances are they're hearing a lot about this iPhone thing, but don't really know what to do about it - can you help them figure it out?

As for consulting, I started out with a bit of luck, a company I was subletting office space from wanted an app made. Past that, referrals are priceless. And yes, this hasn't come up yet, but they absolutely pay if the app gets rejected - you get paid for the work you do, not for the success (or failure) of the app. Most clients are curious (and fearful) of the approval process, and it's very valuable if you can guide them through the submission process and likely pitfalls - but approval is not ultimately your responsibility.

transitioning away from my legal work back to startup work, learning rails while working on 2 early ideas and 1 underway.

the 2 ideas i'm at will to share:

1 - .org - wikipedia-style database of case-law commonly used by pro-bono lawyers -- create something that would assist legal clinics manage their information locally but also something that stores that data and shares it with other clinics doing similar work. caselaw is supposed to be free and without copyright but somehow its come to be locked up by the lexis/westlaw duopoly. I understand they add value, but we believe there is room for a simple database of opinions & briefs, even w/o the shepherdizing.

2 - .com - brainstorming site for early stage startup development, using principles from Covey & Napoleon Hill. i.e. weekly meetings with small groups of founders discussing multiple ideas, voting immediately upon disagreements, etc.

I'd love to discuss the last idea as its the one I'm actually working on coding right now but the folks I'm working with want to remain hush-hush for now.

I'd be fascinated to hear folks' ideas for startups with a broad focus on the role technology can play in community development, government & regulation & even stuff like troll regulation / comment scoring. If anyone wants to IM or chat, hit me up at hitesh@gmail.com.

Besides YC, I've been working on Arc. (No writing lately. I can't seem to focus on more than 2 things at once, so it's always a choice of Arc xor essays.)

Specifically, I've been trying to do things to Arc that will make News shorter. I'm running out of room, though: News is 1886 LOC, and it's rare now when I can find something that will cut as many as 5. So I'm going to try writing some other types of applications to make short.