Twitter Private Feed Plugin

Discussion in 'Customization & add-ons' started by stockguy22, Nov 4, 2010.

  1. stockguy22

    stockguy22 Member

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    Jan 18, 2010
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    Hello,

    I have this idea for subscriptions, it's pretty simple.. a paid twitter feed, but it relies on aMember (or any other membership platform).

    Needed knowledge: aMember, Twitter API

    The basics:

    user x pays for subscription
    user x enters their Twitter ID (username) in an extra field that was created in aMember for user profiles
    aMember tells the user they must request usernameX (private feed) to follow them...
    custom plugin (twitter API) will check every so often (30 min / 1hr) if their are any new requests, and if they conform to the users pending in aMember

    Also vice versa, if a user stops paying, they would get unfollowed.

    This will allow for someone to create a private twitter feed and automatically follow/unfollow subscribers.
  2. CrackBaby

    CrackBaby Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2006
    Messages:
    154
    Paying to follow twits are against twitters Terms Of Service
  3. stockguy22

    stockguy22 Member

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    Jan 18, 2010
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    I just read the ToS.

    It does not say, or imply, that you can not charge for tweets.

    "You retain your rights to any Content you submit, post or display on or through the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such Content in any and all media or distribution methods (now known or later developed)."

    Sure, take my content. The content I'm charging for is time-relevant, so it doesn't really matter.

    "This license is you authorizing us to make your Tweets available to the rest of the world and to let others do the same. But what’s yours is yours – you own your content."

    If your feed is private, they do not make it available to the rest of the world. By making it private, you allow people that request your feed to see your tweets.

    Anyone else have any jabs at this?

    Also..

    "Selling user names: Unless you have been specifically permitted to do so in a separate agreement with Twitter, you agree that you will not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, trade or resell the Services for any purpose, where "Services" is defined as follows: Your use of Twitter’s products, services and web sites (referred to collectively as the “Services” in this document and excluding any services provided to you by Twitter under a separate written agreement) is subject to the terms of a legal agreement between you and Twitter."

    So I can't register a ton of names and sell them? I believe this is reselling Twitter, not your information.

    Under Spam:

    "If you have attempted to "sell" followers, particularly through tactics considered aggressive following or follower churn;"

    Doesn't apply
  4. stockguy22

    stockguy22 Member

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    Jan 18, 2010
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    bump .. anyone got any ideas?

    possible with twitter API?
  5. alexander

    alexander Administrator Staff Member

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    Jan 8, 2003
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    6,279
    Here is what I found about following:
    http://support.twitter.com/articles/68916-following-rules-and-best-practices
    So I don't think that such model is possible at all.
    Even if plugin will use auto-follow-back you can't unfollow users when subscription expired. And there are limits for aggresive following:
    http://support.twitter.com/articles/15364-about-twitter-limits-update-api-dm-and-following
  6. stockguy22

    stockguy22 Member

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    Hi Alex,

    I have found a solution around this that could be beneficial to me, or other people trying to charge for a private Twitter account using aMember.

    1) Member signs up, extra field: Twitter
    2) Member pays through payment system
    3) Profile page has verbage that says, "Please visit twitter.com/username and request to follow $username"
    4) Profile page has a button that says "I have followed $username"
    5) Once this process is completed, the script will work like this:

    aMember Plugin --> Twitter API

    http://apiwiki.twitter.com/w/page/25193644/Twitter-REST-API-Method:-friendships-incoming

    You basically send a request to check what requests are pending.

    Once you get that list, you check against your list on aMember.

    If your list of aMember users that have a paid subscription have requested you, an e-mail will be sent out by aMember saying "You must follow this $username on Twitter, their subscription is valid".

    Then at the end of the day, it will check if subscriptions are inactive, etc. Or each time someone cancels.. or something like that.
  7. stockguy22

    stockguy22 Member

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    Sorry, just a note for Alex.

    I would not follow the members. I would only want to see who has paid, who has entered their Twitter ID in to their profile, and who is following ME on Twitter.

    Following members is not necessary - we will only be sending out information, not taking in information.
  8. alexander

    alexander Administrator Staff Member

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    Well, this is possible but how you will remove followers who cancel subscription?

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