Nice Guys Finish First

Nick Bradbury makes great apps, but better than that, he's a thoughful and articulate person. In having a conversation about politics, he's able to say "I love our constitution more than I love our flag" and summarize his political beliefs without antagonizing any (reasonable) person. In a conversation on his professional blog about religion (!) he's able to address an issue that only affects people at one end of the continuum of beliefs of a particular faith and still have a respectful conversation take place.

These potentially explosive conversations are polite, productive and interesting, despite taking place in a medium (and as part of a technological community) where people can be reduced to ranting and flaming by debates over angle brackets or punctuation.

I rant a lot about the blogosphere being an unkind place, so I'm glad there's still people who are being patient and reasonable, and who are being strong enough leaders to guide other people to be thoughtful as well. It's no wonder Nick's applications work well for different types of people and in different situations: They reflect the flexibility and open-mindedness of their creator.