Troy Carter Consulting

You are probably tired of hearing about how the iPhone is a revolutionary device, how it has changed the face of technology.  While the iPhone is an industry changing device, what has amazed me even more is the community of people and the culture that the iPhone has created.

To me, before I got an iPhone, I could have cared less about my cell phone.  It was simply a device that kept track of my phone numbers and allowed me to both send and receive calls.  I had a few friends that had iPhones and if anything I made fun of them because the thing was always attached to their hand.  They were constantly talking about what they could do with their iPhone and all the latest apps they had downloaded.  Come on, get a life, right?!  Then I decided it would be nice to have a smart phone to help me track mileage and time for my consulting work.  I finally broke down and bought an iPhone.  I soon found myself one of the iPhone snobs.  I too began talking with all my friends about what my iPhone could do and then began poking fun at people who did not have iPhones.

People with iPhones now find themselves in a strange kind of camaraderie with one another.  We Bump contacts to one another, we post status updates, pictures, videos of each other on Facebook and keep up with where each other are on Gowalla all while on the go.  Mobile networking has felt a tremendous surge from what the iPhone has done.  Granted there are other mobile devices who are doing some of the same things.  However, the iPhone is still the leader of this movement.

From my personal experience I am amazed at the number of people I have met simply due to the fact that I am an iPhone Developer.  When I meet people a common question they ask is what I do for a living.  My answer has opened up many opportunities that never would have been available to me in my previous jobs.  I have been teaching a class at the OkcCoCo on iPhone Development and will begin teaching a class at Francis Tuttle this summer as well.  I have received phone calls from recruiters asking for my help in finding iPhone developers.  I have also been asked to serve on the Computer Science Department’s Advisory Committee at Oklahoma City Community College.

It is an exciting time to be a part of this community both as a consumer and professionally.  It will be interesting to watch as this technology continues to influence the evolution of our culture.