Twitter API: Up and Running: Learn How to Build Applications with the Twitter API

416 Pages·2009·2.92 MB·English

by  Kevin Makice

twitter_praise_page Page i Thursday, March 12, 2009 12:35 PM
Praise forTwitter API: Up and Running
“TwitterAPI:UpandRunningisafriendly,accessibleintroductiontotheTwitterAPI.Even
beginning web developers can have a working Twitter project before they know it. Sit
down with this book for a weekend and you’re on your way to Twitter API mastery.”
—Alex Payne, Twitter API lead
“This book rocks! I would have loved to have had this kind of support when I initially
created TwitDir.”
—Laurent Pantanacce, creator of TwitDir
“TwitterAPI:UpandRunningisaverycomprehensiveandusefulresource—anydeveloper
will feel the urge to code a Twitter-related application right after finishing the book!”
—The Lollicode team, creators of Twitscoop
“A truly comprehensive resource for anyone who wants to get started with developing
applications around the Twitter platform.”
—David Troy, developer of Twittervision
“An exceptionally detailed look at Twitter from the developer’s perspective, including
useful and functional sample code!”
—DamonCortesi,creatorofTweetStats,TweepSearch,andTweetSum
“ThisbookismorethanjustagreattechnicalresourcefortheTwitterAPI.Italsoprovides
atonofinsightintotheTwittercultureandthecurrentlandscapeofapps.It’sperfectfor
anyone looking to start building web applications that integrate with Twitter.”
—Matt Gillooly, lead developer of Twalala
“A wonderful account of the rich ecosystem surrounding Twitter’s API. This book gives
youtheinsightandtechniquesneededtocraftyourowntoolsforthisrapidlyexpanding
social network.”
—Craig Hockenberry, developer of Twitterrific
twitter_praise_page Page ii Thursday, March 12, 2009 12:35 PM
Twitter API: Up and Running

Twitter API: Up and Running
Kevin Makice
Beijing • Cambridge • Farnham • Köln • Sebastopol • Taipei • Tokyo
Twitter API: Up and Running
by Kevin Makice
Copyright © 2009 Kevin Makice. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Published by O’Reilly Media, Inc., 1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472.
O’Reilly books may be purchased for educational, business, or sales promotional use. Online editions
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Copyeditor: Rachel Head Interior Designer: David Futato
Proofreader: Sarah Schneider Illustrator: Robert Romano
Printing History:
March 2009: First Edition.
O’Reilly and the O’Reilly logo are registered trademarks of O’Reilly Media, Inc. Twitter API: Up and
Running, the image of a white-breasted nuthatch, and related trade dress are trademarks of O’Reilly
Media, Inc.
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as
trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and O’Reilly Media, Inc. was aware of a
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While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume
no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information con-
tained herein.
TM
This book uses RepKover™, a durable and flexible lay-flat binding.
ISBN: 978-0-596-15461-5
[M]
1236973332
Table of Contents
Preface .................................................................... xiii
1. Hello Twitter ........................................................... 1
What Are You Doing? 2
Rules of Engagement 4
Opportunistic Interruptions 6
Twitter Is Like a Side-by-Side Conversation 8
History of Twitter 9
A Brief History of Microblogging 10
Believe It or Not: Twitter Was Inspired by Bike Couriers 12
Millions and Millions Served 14
The Rise of the Fail Whale 16
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Gauging Twitter’s Profitability 20
Developers Are Users, Too 23
Creative Uses of Twitter 25
Twitter Utilitarianism 26
Twitter for News 27
Twitter for Science 28
Twitter for God 29
Twitter for Emergencies 30
Twitter for Marketing 31
Twitter for Social Change 32
Twitter for Money 34
Twitter for Games 34
Twitter for Anthropomorphism 35
Twitter for Help 36
Twitter for Creativity 37
Twitter for Education 38
Twitter for Entertainment 38
Twitter for Sports 39
Twitter for Evil 40
Twitter As a Shared Event 41
vii
Twitter for Everyone 42
A Changing Culture 43
2. Twitter Applications .................................................... 45
Twitter’s Open API 46
Finding Inspiration 47
Tools for Publishing 48
Twitterfeed 48
SnapTweet 49
SecretTweet 50
Tools for the Information Stream 51
Twittervision 52
Twitter Matrix 53
Twalala 54
Tools of Appropriation 55
Track This 55
LiveTwitting 56
FoodFeed 57
Tools for Search 58
TwitDir 59
Green Tweets 60
TweetBeep 61
Tweet Scan 62
Favrd 63
Tools of Aggregation 64
Twappi 64
Twitscoop 65
Twist 66
Tools for Statistics 67
What’s Your Tweet Worth? 67
TweetStats 68
Follow Cost 70
Twitter Grader 71
Twitterank 72
Tools for the Follow Network 74
Does Follow 74
Qwitter 75
Friend or Follow 76
Mr. Tweet 77
Omnee 78
Twitree 79
And Many More 80
viii | Table of Contents