Should I continue work on my hobby project?

Question

I've been working on the Axial project for a while now. It converts MSIL to Javascript with tight integration with ASP.NET. You add a control that looks something like <axial:Script runat="server" MethodName="Foo" /> and the codebehind says public void Foo() { lblTest.Text = "Foo"; } and there would be a javascript function on your page that would say void Foo() { document.getElementById('lblTest').innerHTML = 'Foo'; }. It can do <canvas> and web services and has some other features. The CodePlex site has a list of features and source code.

I enjoy working on it but I'm considering stopping because only one person has shown any interest. I think the project is useful, but it's mostly for ASP.NET programmers who know C# and don't want to learn JavaScript. These people are hard to find via the internet, I think because people who go to sites like Stack Overflow are those interested in programming and like learning new languages. So it's difficult to show this project to people who may be interested in it. Or I could be overestimating its utility (or my marketing ability).

If anyone has advice about whether to continue working on it, I'd be interested in hearing it.

Answer 1

I'm all for continuing hobby projects, unless it's taking up so much time that it interferes with your real life. So what if no one uses it? Will you use it? Do you think it's fun? Are you learning things? Is it interesting and challenging?

I have a hobby project which is very intermittently worked on with an even smaller target audience (linguists who aren't afraid of learning a domain-specific language), but I don't let this stop me. That's because I can answer "yes" to almost all of the questions above.

Answer 2

I personally dislike this kind of programming, but I'm pretty sure most of my coworkers would love it. I don't think the fundamental idea is flawed, it seems like a GWT for .NET right?

Answer 3

If you love doing it, then keep doing it. If you are worried about interest, I'm sure it'll pick some up the more and more you polish your work.

Plus you just placed a good advertisement with this question. ;)

Answer 4

Having no one use the code you worked long and hard on is not a good feeling. I don't think you should bad abandoning the project, but only as long as you pick up another (maybe more mainstream) project.

Answer 5

In the case of this particular project, how would you compare it to Script#?

If you are asking whether it is worthwhile for you to do a hobby project in general, I can't really answer that for you!