Post Access API and Saving Threads

[heeroyuy]

My J is attacking. I have decided to be productive, or at least theorize about it, so I have a new idea based on a recent (or fairly recent) suggestion.

I am going to write up a queryable web interface API as well as a publicly viewable way to access posts. Perhaps a batch feature so you can receive them, or download an entire thread in text format so you can view it at a later time? Obviously for people on broadband, downloads wouldn't be as important as an API to access posts (naturally with restrictrictions to prevent floods), but for dialup users downloading would be helpful for long 16 page posts.

Thoughts?

[file cabinet]

would images be included? what about HTML format[with stylsheet on top]?

[heeroyuy]

Multiple format's would be made, straight text, or images, we could use html output formatting easily enough. For the batch, you could request it in a few formats. I could also write some on-the-fly pdf encoding if I was in a really good mood.

[indie]

I wonder what percentage of us are on dial-up vs. broadband? That might be an interesting (poll to form as a) starting point.

Also, (and I have no idea if this is possible) but I think PsiKik mentioned something about being able to extract certain users' posts from the specific threads. . .would this be possible? Like a "google" for INTP Central threads? I know we have the Search option, but it doesn't quite seem to do the trick. . . Sometimes threads get a bit hijacked, but eventually return to topic . . . that seems like it might be a useful feature.

[heeroyuy]

What exactly do you mean? The search feature should allow you to search for individual posts with certain text, doesn't it? Or am I not getting quite what you mean? But yes, providing if you used the API you knew the post Id (easy to derive) or if browsing just clicked the link, you'd download that post.

[nBT]

hows this: what if we set a few (heh) keywords for a thread or post. makes searching easier. also creates a network of related posts/threads. im really bugged my the fact that all the good threads are scattered lying on the floor. im not gonna invest my time in searching for posts first and then dive in to study.

[garak]

I don't quite understand what this would be used for?

Improve the main site! Damn it! :D

[file cabinet]

I don't quite understand what this would be used for?

Improve the main site! Damn it! :D

refer to this thread...
http://forums.intpcentral.com/showthread.php?t=2754

[Shai Gar]

nice thread