IFTTT, other automation services make big steps by cutting corners - Arts - The Boston Globe

How to make everyone a programmer: don't call it "programming"

"Apparently, I’m not alone in harboring these George Jetson-esque problems, as a new wave of automation services have been picking up steam online.

Sites like IFTTT, Zapier, bip.io, CloudWork, and elastic.io allow users to connect applications with links that go beyond a simple synch. Put simply: Any one function can trigger just about any other function. Establishing this level of integration between apps once required some skilled back-end development work and manipulation of various APIs (application programming interfaces), but the desire for apps to operate more like a well-trained staff than a rowdy gang of independent contractors has gone mainstream."

IFTTT, other automation services make big steps by cutting corners - Arts - The Boston Globe