Portable Social Networks at Mashup Camp

I’m doing a presentation today at Mashup University that I’ve titled Tapping the Portable Social Network that’s a code tour of how to create a social network that uses existing social connections and public data to make the sign up process for web sites easier. Of course, this whole idea came from Jeremy Keith.\
It’s a very simple Rails app (that you can download) that only deals with the login/signup process using both OpenID and AOL’s OpenAuth.\
Here are the basics…\
If you log in with OpenID, it:

  1. grabs the identity URL, and looks for some microformats
  2. looks for an hcard and pre-fllls the profile
  3. looks for XFN-encoded links and searches the site for existing users with that homepage and gives you the option to add them as contacts when you sign up.\
    If you log in with OpenAuth, it:
  4. pre-fills your profile with URLs and data we think we know based on your screen name.
  5. grabs your buddy list and looks for folks who logged in with those screennames on the site and gives you the option to add them as contacts.\
    It’s dead simple and poorly documented, but works well so far, and I think the flow makes sense and has possibilities. You’re welcome to take it, the concept, the code, and do whatever you want with it.\
    The next step is to see what other open reliable sources of social data are out there that would make sense to look for during the sign up process.\
    UPDATE: Read the README file! There are several things you need to change in both the configuration, and one line in profile.js. The README documents all of the required changes and where to find them.

While the cat’s away…

I’ve been taking Max to summer camp since Kevin is out of town. It is such a huge headache! Brian has a complete meltdown each day when he can’t stay. He has some fun classes scheduled for next week, but this week is empty. He cries, “Play marbles at Babba’s house” over and over again. But the poor woman is sick, so that is a no-go. We’ll probably go to the pool tomorrow and hit the mall playground sometime but it is way too hot to be outside. The kid’s just gonna have to live with it. Max continues to have fun at summer camp. This morning, at 8 am, he woke me up from my morning nap, “Aren’t you going to take me to camp?” “Why yes, kid, I am. AT A REASONABLE HOUR.”\
In other news, I’ve picked a contractor. Wheee! Due to HOA approval meetings only happening once a month, I think we are still several weeks away from starting the project. Boo.\
In preparation for the remodel, I have been de-cluttering like crazy. I love it! I even did some of the kitchen (I currently have 3 empty drawers and 2 empty baskets) and can’t wait to do my bedroom. But the basement comes first, since that is where the construction will be taking place. I do wonder where my Christmas decorations are supposed to go once the storage closet becomes a bathroom. Where does everyone else in a townhouse without a garage stick this stuff? And let’s not even talk about food storage. Ugh.\
Last weekend was my college choir reunion (for anyone who was taught by the old director) and this weekend is my high school reunion. I am totally ditching both. Who has a reunion, part of which includes an outdoor family picnic, in southern Arizona in JULY? Apparently Arizonans who never left the state, that is who. I took one look at the date and said, “No, thanks.” Yep, I am a complete wuss now when it comes to 110 temps. On the plus side, I traded up for the beautiful spring and fall seasons, the occasional snow storm, and actual water in rivers. I think I got the better end of the deal. (But a big hi! to the former Eagles and Wildcats out there!!)\
That’s all from here. Not so much playing, but lots of things getting done. Except the laundry. I can’t seem to do something AND the laundry. It is an either/or situation for me. And on that note, I miss Kevin.

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