Google Wave & Geocaching site SDK?

[+tachoknight]

Hi all-

 

It's not specifically a question about GPS devices, but more about the geocaching website itself; I figured this was at least the right forum to start with.

 

I have been a Google Wave beta tester for awhile and, if you're not familiar with it, it's basically an email/chat/blog/whatever on steroids. One of the slick things is that you can add, in addition to other people, "robots" to your "wave" (think of it as a forum post, like this). The robot acts like, well, anything you want it to, but it's actually a participating member of the "conversation".

 

Okay, I came up with an idea to have a geocaching robot, so that if you type in a cache name (i.e. GCHVARA), it could automatically make that a link so if you click on it, it goes to the right page on the website.

 

Another bot would be an automated one that notifies you of some activity, a la a pocket query.

 

I haven't written these yet, I've just been playing around with the Wave SDK but was thinking of how I could combine my love of creating neat software with a newly-found love of geocaching.

 

The real question is whether any of this is possible or permitted by Groundspeak; their system of batch queries seems designed to offload any potential automated software as well as make it available only to members. This is fine and fair, I don't want to skirt any rules. I just was wondering if anyone knows if there is any "permitted" way to mash-up the geocaching site with other software (like how the site mashes-up with Google maps to display the cache locations).

 

Anyway, if this isn't cool or not permitted by Groundspeak, that's fine, I can come up with a different idea for a robot; just wanted to ask and see what was and wasn't possible.

 

Tachoknight

[+Maingray]

Sounds like you might want to email Groundspeak or post in the geocaching.com website issues forum here... this particular sub forum is not monitored by Groundpseak directly.

[+TravelingGeek]

Sounds very cool. I just got my Wave invite, so I would be happy to test for you.

 

I think tying the notification into this would be very helpful / cool.

 

Still being new to it, I don't know yet... is there any synergy between Wave and Android?

[robertlipe]

As noted in the OP, this post is in the wrong place. Moving TOU Question/API request to Website group.

[+TeamMonroes]

Sounds like a pretty cool idea. I'm also a software engineer and would be wiling to help out. However, sadly, I do not yet have a wave account. If you've got some invites left over, I'd really appreciate one.

 

danmonroe.ata at gmail dot com

 

Thanks,

Dan

[+tachoknight]

Sounds like a pretty cool idea. I'm also a software engineer and would be wiling to help out. However, sadly, I do not yet have a wave account. If you've got some invites left over, I'd really appreciate one.

 

danmonroe.ata at gmail dot com

 

Thanks,

Dan

Invite sent

[+TeamMonroes]

Sounds like a pretty cool idea. I'm also a software engineer and would be wiling to help out. However, sadly, I do not yet have a wave account. If you've got some invites left over, I'd really appreciate one.

 

danmonroe.ata at gmail dot com

 

Thanks,

Dan

Invite sent

 

Thanks! I haven't received it yet, but I suppose they are doing them in "waves".

 

Dan

[+tachoknight]

I got an email from the Groundspeak folks and they basically said the idea was a no-go. They don't offer an API and scraping the site is not permitted (which I understand, as I work with a site that is scraped constantly, and it really eats up the bandwidth).

 

Oh well, on to the next idea, I guess.

 

Tachoknight