Artifact Buddy


Artifact Buddy is an application that allows an artifact to act as a buddy in your MSN contacts. The artifact's status changes depending on how its owner is using it, buddies are alerted of updates to the artifact via IM messages, and buddies can send messages to the artifact to either retrieve a copy of the artifact, or just to alert the artifact's owner of various other information.

Currently in Alpha stage. Development is ongoing.

Contents



Download and Installation

Download the latest version: Version 1.8.1 (updated May 17, 2009)

Updates:
  • Added the ability to pass control. The person requesting editorial control first issues the command 'REQUEST CONTROL'. A zip containing a light version of artifact buddy is sent via MSN to this person. The zip should then be extracted to the same directory the file you are editing is contained in. Start up Artifact Buddy Lite, open the file and start editing.
  • (September 28) Minor update to allow Artifact Buddy Lite applications to pass control. So, this means that if you are running Artifact Buddy Lite, another user can request control, and you will pass them an Artifact Buddy Lite application.
  • (May 13) Deprecated Artifact Buddy Light in favor of passing the entire, full application, all recorded versions, and transcript information from party to party. This ensures that all features of the system are available at all times, regardless of who is in "control" of the artifact at any given moment. Also added two new commands, ANNOUNCE EDITING and ANNOUNCE EDIT DONE, which allow group members besides the "master" to change the Artifact Buddy's MSN status to help prevent concurrent editing conflicts. (Think of this as a very, very lightweight mechanism for broadcasting a lock but relying on social protocols to adhere to it.)
  • (May 17) Added dialog box so that current master has to explicitly confirm a request from someone else to grab control of the artifact (and Artifact Buddy). This prevents someone from sweeping in and taking over while an edit may be in progress.
Known Issues:
  • (May 17) Not all messages that the AB client sends out to the group are currently being recorded in the transcript. This should probably be fixed.

TODO

  • For certain situations, create a two way dialog between the artifact and remote buddy
  • have everything go into a proper database
  • Have the ability to switch working copy
  • Multiple artifacts in a single go

Download the latest Source: Source