New Software Company Codes, Fights Crime.


As reported on Think Secret last week, Wil Shipley and Mike Matas, both formerly associated with the Omni Group, have joined forces to form Delicious Monster.

The new company’s first product is Library 3. Originally coded by Andrew Kazmierski, Library 3 will feature a new interface and the ability to use an iSight camera as a bar code reader.

It was Library 3 that prompted Shipley and Matas to choose a mission statement for Delicious Monster: “helping people organize.”

In what would prove a pivotal move in pushing the dynamic duo into crime fighting, they then retained the services of a consultant who shortened the company’s mission statement to simply “helping people.”

“Generally, I tell my clients to keep their mission statements as short as possible,” said consultant Trent Westerfeld. “The ideal mission statement would be one syllable… some sort of grunt or hoot designed to resonate with employees, business partners and clients.

“I had a client once that got its mission statement from ‘Providing enhanced value-added products to top-tier clients in competitive global 2000 industries’ down to ‘A-Oooh-Gah!’ It’s three syllables, but it was quite a sight seeing them all jumping up and down, yelling ‘A-Oooh-Gah! A-Oooh-Gah!’ Now, that was an organization with a mission!”

Their mission statement shortened, Shipley and Matas now felt obliged to help people in all circumstances.

“That’s when we first started talking about also fighting crime,” Matas said. “Although… I think Wil had maybe thought of it before because he already had a costume…

“Kinda freaked me out, really…”

Ignoring his younger partner, Shipley said “If Delicious Monster can help people scan things into a library of all of their bar-coded or otherwise categorizable items, then it can also help them fend off muggers, cads and the street vermin that infest the Hell’s Kitchen that is… uh… the area around Seattle’s University Village.”

Shipley and Matas have yet to decide what kind of crime fighters they will be. Matas is leaning toward a “Starsky and Hutch” approach that would involve large hair and souped-up hot rods. Shipley prefers a costumes and gadgets approach, a la Batman, but admits that his preference may be related to Halle Berry taking on the role of Catwoman this summer.

“Would it be sharing too much to say I have a thing for women in leather?” Shipley asked.

“Oh. OK, well, I won’t mention it, then.”

One thing is for sure, however. Along with their sidekick, Plantzilla, Shipley and Matas will make the mean streets of Seattle’s trendy, upscale, shopping area safer from crime.

Asked if Plantzilla had any special powers that would aid the trio in fighting crime, Shipley replied “Um, does photosynthesis count? Then, no, I guess not. But it is… uh… a very large plant. Very… intimidating. You… wouldn’t want to have to… move it.”