~GSoC2010: Bharadwaj's Messaging plugins framework Web API
Abstract:
Enable easy connection channels for users to connect beyond thinktank, for instance in twitter and in facebook.
A clear and simple interface for users to communicate with an idea originator using twitter DM.
GSOC Page : http://socghop.appspot.com/gsoc/student_proposal/private/google/gsoc2010/bharadwaj/t127083713753
Why?:
The purpose of using thinktank is to bring about a simple interface for connections and information. If I can use twitter or facebook to post a message, the objective of thinktank is diminished. The value of thinktank lies in the integration and a single interface. Therefore there is a need for a user to post updates, post replies, send DMs and post in Facebook through the existing interface. One click interface to choose between multiple options available and send a message is important. The idea is to make the user focus on the message and nothing else.
What?
Create a reusable and configurable dynamic module that can be called from anywhere. I am calling this the connect dialog box. This connect dialog box can be called from a mouse over event or a click event on a profile. Hence reuse is an important factor here.
The dialog box has simple options to
1. send a public twitter reply.
2. Send a DM to the user
3. Post an update on user’s facebook wall
4. a few more options [lesser and concise the options are, the better the interface will be]
A simple modal box appears on selecting one of the options with an interface to send the message and cancel [screenshot attached]
Re-usability : The interface as such will be reusable and hence can be called from different events. Also, the DM modules and the other posting modules will be a separate module [totally detached from the interface] and hence can be reused from a different module in the future.
Screenshots :
Screenshot 1 : The mouse over event which pulls up the connect box [http://teraom.com/images/thinktank1.png]
Screenshot 2 : The message modal box for sending the actual message [http://teraom.com/images/thinktank2.png]
Research Experience : I am a graduate student in University of Minnesota. I am currently working on usability and social computing. My current project is on analyzing the response parameters across open and closed social media streams.
Technical Background : I have 3 years of industry experience with 2.4 years in IBM. I worked as an application programmer for one of the largest telecom giants in the world, developing web applications and web services. I have also worked as a freelance web developer for a chennai based web ecommerce startup. I own and maintain 50+ websites, majority of them powered by PHP/MySql
Blog : http://teraom.com
Website : http://teraom.com/resume
Contact : Bharadwaj Parthasarathy
Email : Bharadwaj dot Parthasarathy at gmail
IRC : barbi (freenode)
Any feedback, comments, criticisms on the proposal is very welcome. I had put up this proposal on GSOC, but I am very late in creating this wiki page.