Brad Gessler, the creator of Thingybase and co-founder of Poll Everywhere, has announced plans to deploy updates across several of his platforms, including Thingybase, with an immediate focus on releasing a new tool designed to assist developers with OpenGraph diagnostics. Gessler stated in a recent tweet, "> I’ll deploy to production to [various platforms], and Thingybase to cut its teeth. A more immediate goal is to release a tool to help devs see what OpenGraph looks like for your site to help diagnose issues." This initiative underscores his commitment to enhancing web development tools and user experience.
The forthcoming OpenGraph diagnostic tool aims to simplify how developers visualize and troubleshoot OpenGraph meta tags on their websites. This is crucial for optimizing how web content appears when shared across social media platforms. Gessler has previously discussed the complexities of creating optimized OpenGraph images per social network, suggesting the new tool could evolve into a hosted product offering tailored image generation.
Thingybase, one of the platforms slated for updates, is an inventory management system Gessler launched in 2018. It allows users to organize possessions, print labels from their phones, and maintain a searchable record of items. The project was born from a personal need to manage household inventory, reflecting Gessler's approach to developing practical, user-centric tools.
Gessler's work extends to other projects, including TinyZap, a link shortener that also incorporates OpenGraph image generation capabilities. His background as a co-founder and CTO of Poll Everywhere, a leading audience engagement platform, highlights his extensive experience in building and scaling web applications. The planned deployments and the new diagnostic tool reflect his ongoing efforts to address common developer pain points and improve web content sharing.