How fun!
panatlantica - April 17, 2006 - 15:42
Hiya all!
I just stumbled upon DutchPipe today, an Open Source Virtual World framework which looks like some real fun. I'll evaluate the code in while and see if this could be fiddled into Drupal using a "middleware-module" that ports over the DutchPipe stuff into Drupal powered sites. Could be quite some fun, but really needs a first look on the code, beforehand.
Anyone interested in joinging me turn this into a Module Project, ust let me know!
Steve.
myspace
so this could be used to make something like myspace?
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Drupal ecommerce, at www.drupalecommerce.com is a new site written using language that Drupal beginners and intermediate users can understand. Which version to use? http://www.drupalecommerce.com/47vs46
yourspace.com :-D
Hi Drupalec,
okay I ADMIT IT ! lol!!! Call me European and call me ignorant, but myspace.com never appealed to me! :-D
Yeah, I had a look at it and I understand its basic function and hence the hype about it. I have been working with online communities and social software fore quite a while now, so naturally I took a look but I did not like it much. Maybe it displeased my graphic designer's eye?! Donno. Maybe it is a bit like watching day-time television: either you like the soaps and talk shows or, well, you accknowledge their existance and that's that!
(Truely hope that this won't discredit me completely here on Drupal.org!)
So, I am not completely sure if DutchPipe is something that mysapce.com has or has not. What it is:
It basically represents each visiting or registered user in form of an Avatar, neatly inside a block (if we speak Drupalese now). Avatars either carry "Guest #xxx" or the user name. Klicking on the Avatar lets you do things with him, like speak. Any conversation will be placed below the Avatars in an Ajax-style chat.
If you go from one page to the other, your Avatar follows. So let's say, I am on this page here now reading my own comment. There will be an Avatar representing myself. Now you come on Drupal.org. You see yourself as an Avatar in a block below the content. Then you go on THIS page. Your Avatar will follow and I will be able to "see" you come on the page, too. This is done by an Ajax-call of course. So now you and me both are on the same page and we both see two Avatars, one for me and one for you below the content in a box. Next I could cheer and say "hello" which you will instantly see (like the Ajax-chat module really, but ON the page, not in a pop-up). I could then tell you to go to the Handbook section of this site and click on "Handbook". I dissappear for your view on this forum page. You also klick on Handbook and you see me (aka my Avatar) already there waiting for you. At the same time, I see your Avatar appear next to me on the Handbooks site. Obviously we won't be alone here and there will be many others: some are Guests, some are signed in Users.
I guess you will get the idea how DutchPipe functions.
I still haven't found the time to look at its code. Basically what should be done to include it as a Drupal module would be to either provide some "hooks" (I am not exclusively speaking of Drupal hooks, but rather using this term in a more general way) to link up the user registration and session system of Drupal with that of DutchPipe. So you would have a "Middleware"-Module (like e.g. the Gallery 2 Module that links up Gallery 2 with Drupal or one of the WYSIWYG modules that simply ease existing WYSIWYG editors into Drupal), and propably inside the module a clean DutchPipe installation.
Or - the other possibility would be a DutchPipe rewrite in form of an entire Module that comes right WITH DutchPipe already included (this might however require to see if Drupal's and DutchPipe's Open Source Licences are compatible.
So, this is just a theoretic first thinking about a DutchPipe Avatar Module. This is not yet a project. :-) And sorry for not being on myspace.com !
Greetings, Steve
BTW, just had a look on their site: DutchPipe is yet not available for download, so we'll have to keep waiting. It'll be BSD style licenced. So propably this is not compatible to Drupal's GPL. So IF this will work out it will most likely become a linking module, connecting Drupal to DutchPipe!
interesting
that sounds pretty interesting. thanks for explaing. please do post here when you finish!
thank you
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Drupal ecommerce, at www.drupalecommerce.com is a new site written using language that Drupal beginners and intermediate users can understand. Which version to use? http://www.drupalecommerce.com/47vs46
DutchPIPE and CMS links
Hi guys,
As the developer of DutchPIPE, let me comment on this.
First of all, this is alpha software, and although the source will be released to the public May 16, it will still be some time before it can be considered stable.
The integration of DutchPIPE with existing web apps, such as a CMS or bulletin board, is very important to me.
But there is a chicken and the egg problem. E.g. drupal could not use itself as a module, because it is already a meta-environment, and the same is the case with DutchPIPE. Still, there are various methods of integration, most of which need still to be explored.
For the inner DutchPIPE workings, a php script is run from the command line which keeps running and contains all objects of the site. For istance, each page is an object. In the page methods are called such as setBody to set the html content. This is where a link to a CMS could be made 'inbound' and is the clean way. I haven't had much time to explore this possibility yet.
The second method, which is already working in an alpha state, is a "proxy" approach. The DutchPIPE software surfs to the web app, or any site actually, and creates page objects and calls setBody on the fly. I'm using this to add existing apps such as mailman mailing list software and buleltin boards to the site. But, you could also use it to go to, say, cnn.com or drupal.org, and see the avatars attached to the bottom and get the same effect!
An important issue is that you shouldn't be fooled by the current DutchPIPE.org interface, because that is just one possible implementation of an interface, and also alpha. You can make it as basic or AJAX spammy (including animations) as you like. Me, as a usability freak I made a point of not braking the page concept as many AJAX implementations do, and really get the page feeling, which in my eyes has an invaluable cognitive power. Just as with IFRAME and sites built entirely in Flash, this doesn't work. But that's just my opinion and anyone can built what they want.
I'm not aware of inner Drupal licensing policies, but if I'm correct you can take the source from a BSD licensed distribution and do with it what you want, such as distributing it with a GNU distribution. The other way around, is where the problems are.
Im keen
Hi Steve, yes i saw dutchPIPE a while back and yes think it would be good to have dutchPIPE drupal module. I spoke briefly with the developer, Lennert and discussed some of the issues such as licensing and he felt that doing it the way TinyMCE's drupal module may be the way to go. If you are still keen, get back in touch and we can discuss, Rgeards, Mark..... mark AT stratagility DOT com.
Something akin to Cyworld Habbo (not MySpace)
It says "php/ajax avatar worlds
With DutchPIPE open source software, web developers can make virtual multi-user environments. Each web page becomes an abstracted environment or location where visitors and other items on the page are visualized. This status is retained as visitors move around. A lot of real-time interaction is possible. The result: Persistent Interactive Page Environments. DutchPIPE uses AJAX and the DOM for the browser - it works without Java, Flash, plug-in or firewall adjustments. On the server, PHP 5 is used."
I was thinking of Cyworld http://us.cyworld.com, Habbo Hotel, and Gaia Online