Raokserver

the fnet project is an attempt to prototype these features in a command-line client and server

raokserver is the open-source programming project to create foundation software for the Random Action community and for the Adventure Economy. These are Random Acts of Kindness-related initiatives that will hopefully be closely associated with CouchSurfing.

Status: not yet begun!

Features:

• precise geolocation and schedule specification tools
• interoperability with text messaging, asterisk-based worldwide telephone notifications
• ability to run different raokserver installs to handle random acts in different locales
• based on three user roles: recipients, agents, and dispatchers
• javascript widget library for maps and schedules
• can distribute assignments, determine availability, update agent location info, and ask simple questions via: SMS, voice, web, email
• defines a universal and simple microformat for exchanging trust data among servers and communities: XFN(r)
• offers some mechanism of profile sharing

Data Model

• coming soon, see "user model" on the Random Action page.
• contact Joe to help him work it out.

Current Team

• Joe Edelman
• Guaka^CS
• add yourself here

Why not use the CouchSurfing codebase?

I've been coming to the conclusion that the CouchSurfing *software* is not such a good fit for this idea. First and foremost, Casey is concerned and wants to be very careful about who can see the code. I want to have *lots* of people helping me on the programming side, all the way through, and that means being less careful and closed than Casey wants to be with the CS code for now. Secondly, the space/time finding/alerting technologies of CS, which are city-based search and emails, are appropriate for slower, courser interactions. This stuff requires a higher level of space/time granularity: stuff like GPS and SMS, with split-second timing and street-corner-level spacing. So rather than add all of that to the CouchSurfing code, where it's not even a priority, I'm looking at having a separate codebase--one that I can invite everyone to help me build--which works with these technologies. I'm going to call this raokserver, for "Random Acts of Kindness".

Related Technologies

• Microsoft MapPoint - simple desktop based mapping software. It covers North America (USA and Canada) and Europe with detailed street maps
• Fugawi Tracker- very popular mapping software for GPS navigation and tracking. It supports different GIS mapping data format and even image files scanned from paper maps.
• Google Earth - global satellite image viewer and locator. It covers most big cities with very good satellite images and road maps. It is free for download now. You can try it out to see if your local area is covered well.
• RoadMate 500
• StreetPilot
• GPS Car Navigators
• Semacode: machine-readable Data Matrix symbols which encode internet URIs, primarily aimed at being used with cellular phones which have built-in cameras. Useful for "tagging" physical location so that non-locals can know where they are, or where a random action will occur. While Semacode is patented, Datamatrix is not so we should use this.