Service oriented systems have become hugely popular, and the golden age of the "monorail" is starting to end. Sometimes, these services can be fantastic, and other times not so much. Learning how to evaluate APIs and identify problem areas before jumping head first into development can save us frustration, time, and money. This session will walk through evaluating an API, best practices, and red flags, all from the standpoint of a developer consuming them. No matter your experience level, you'll leave with the skills to effectively tackle your next API.