Joern's Blog

Concerning Tom's Blog Entry "Team Project: AIM API", I may add some comments to clarify our current project situation.

First of all: Tom's description, that

"...we dumped the project and looked for possibilities. ..."

is may be mistakable. All in all we just replaced the Instant Messenger API's with the Facebook API. Thus we did NOT dumped the project, we just further developed our ideas and modified it to the given circumstances !!!

But now in detail, what happened in the past days:

1.) How Tom already mentioned, after all of us did the research for the API's, Tom and I came to the fact that the IM integration will not work, because in the AIM's case, we cannot access the user's location and in the Yahoo!Messenger's case, the API is only for Plug-In development suitable. And finally the Google Talk + Google Map mashup already exists 1:1.

2.) However, at least Andre had some success with the Google Map API. Thus he was able to map the first locations on it.

3.) Yesterday we met, and after a while of discussing we considered our backup solution (Facebook + GoogleMap + Flickr). While exploring the Facebook API (were it seams to be possible to access the buddies including their hometowns) we came to the idea that we can use the Facebook buddies instead of the IM buddies. The day was rescued ;)

4.) Conclusion: Our project is still "Map Your Buddies” but instead of “Map Your (IM) Buddies” its now “Map Your (facebook) Buddies” ;)

5) Next steps: The assigned task are:
Andre: is going to further enhance the Google Map API’s for the already exiting example.
Thomas: is going to explore the Facebook API and is trying to get out the buddies hometowns/locations.
Joern: is going to build the first draft of the "whole page"

6) Advantages of the “Map Your (facebook) Buddies” are:

• Access to the Buddies hometown
• Access to the Buddies birthday's
• Access to the Buddies favorite music
• Access to the Buddies favorite movies

With this additional information (even if the favorite music and movies are only available as "user" strings), we thought maybe as iteration 2 or 3 that we can integrate "favorite" amazon articles to each buddy or display the number of days to his/her birthday. And finally, maybe showing appropriate/interesting advertisements for the buddies...

OK, at this point I may quote Tom:

"To be continued."

He will present tomorrow in the weekly presentation some more details.

I hope that some misunderstandings are now more understandable ;) and our current project situation is clear to everyone ;)

Any further questions?

-Joern