[aprssig] Interesting. CQ Server sounds like Twitter

[Denis Barton]

Steve,

Thank you for bringing the RSS feed to my attention. I have the (near) feed 
scrolling above APRSIS32 on my Linux box.

Denis WB8SKP

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Dimse" <steve at dimse.com>
To: "TAPR APRS Mailing List" <aprssig at tapr.org>
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2012 10:34 PM
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Interesting. CQ Server sounds like Twitter


>I can see problems with channel congestion if you are thinking RF as the 
>way to get the messages to the end user. Hamfest APRS channels are already 
>crowded, imagine if every drawing number generates messages to dozens of 
>attending hams! The RSS feature of findU can do something very similar with 
>the internet as the transport medium.
>
> I've always been surprised the RSS feeds I added to findU in 2005 never 
> gained traction, I find it incredibly useful as a way to follow local aprs 
> activity yet only a handful of people take advantage of it.
>
> http://rss.findu.com/msg.cgi?call=yourcall*
>
> Enter the above URL in your RSS newsreader and you will get notified any 
> time anyone sends a message to any of yourcall's ssids (or use yourcall-n 
> if you only want a specific ssid).
>
> You can also see whenever any new station comes into your area with
>
> http://rss.findu.com/near.cgi?call=yourcall-n
>
> There also used to be one for NWS warnings but that hasn't worked since 
> Dale's WxSrvr went QRT.
>
> If you don't understand RSS, there is a little more background at
>
> http://rss.findu.com
>
> Steve K4HG
>
> On Jan 9, 2012, at 11:05 PM, Steve Noskowicz wrote:
>
>>
>> An idea...
>>   Needing a break from simultaneous crashed hard drive re-build, a new 
>> computer shake-out and new computer spousal-training, I listened to the 
>> complete Tom Ashcroft On Point show about Twitter, it seems to me there's 
>> some concepts for APRS-IS services.
>>
>>   I have no idea about the feasibility, but I'll throw out the concepts.
>>
>>   The first is a directly equivalent service - APRS-TWITTER.  Perhaps a 
>> better name is CHIRP.
>>
>>    CQ Server is close already.  Using the Twitter model, this server 
>> could be made to allow any APRS station to "subscribe" to messages sent 
>> by another, specific APRS station.  Send a message to the server with the 
>> target stations call "subscribes" to his APRS-TWEETS.  Perhaps a message 
>> TO: CHIRP with text "FOLLOW", or more in the ham area "COPY" and the 
>> target stations CALL-SSID.
>> The" followed" station sends CHIRP messages (Chirps) to the server and 
>> all stations following him receive the messages just like CQ server. To 
>> maximize message length ,the Message "TO"  should be short, perhaps even 
>> just a "@".  TO:@
>>   I also see it is similar to Bulletins and Groups, but on a world-wide 
>> level.  Client software would also enhance usefulness.
>>
>>   Now it is easy to see why someone would ask, WHY?  All I can say at 
>> this point is that the same question was asked five years ago about 
>> Twitter.
>>
>>   Straining for ways to use it...
>>  At a hamfest to announce raffle numbers.
>>  At hamfests announce when seminars (events) are start starting.
>>  Tweet-like updates for Balloon launches (keep it in the Ham domain 
>> rather than on Twitter or Yahoo Groups)
>>   Obviouslly Tweet-like updates for anything Ham related.
>>   Club notices.
>>   NWS alerts.
>>   A sever could be set up to monitor traffic conditions/reports then a 
>> traveling ham subscribes.
>>
>> I haven't given this a lot of thought to figure out who it differs from 
>> Bulletins and Groups, or CQSERVER since some of these could be handled by 
>> them.   The setup would be different and uses should be more global in 
>> nature.
>>
>>   The second occurred as I started to write this.  A service that 
>> parallels the email server, but to Twitter rather than emailing -  an 
>> APRS link actually into Twitter.
>>   Going the other way probably doesn't make as much sense because it has 
>> the same problems as receiving email via APRS and using the APRSlink 
>> model looses the immediate update Twitter model.
>>   Like sending an email, sending a message TO:TWEET routes the message to 
>> your Twitter handle.  You would send a special message to set up that 
>> link by specifying your Twitter handle to the server.  Or perhaps send 
>> TO:@handle.
>>     I suppose allowing multi messages to fill the Twitter buffer. 
>> TO:TWEET-1, TO:TWEET-2, to get to the full hundred plus characters.
>>
>>   Also it is clear that this would work better with a touch-keyboard 
>> interface.  This appears to make it a natural for a smart phone app.
>>
>>   Anyway...just some ideas.  In addition, a realize this is following 
>> other technologyrather than leading, but it's an idea.  Perhaps there's a 
>> modification that makes more sense or fits into ham radio 
>> better...perhaps not.
>> --
>> 73, Steve, K9DCI
>>  Back to the computer business...
>>
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>
>
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