"Syndicated Database" Introduced by Talkingstone
Solutions and The HomeNet
September 15, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Imagine that you have a significant amount of constantly changing
data stored in a database, and you need to allow the entire
contents of that database to be searched and displayed within
dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of websites hosted all over
the world. In real-time. Now imagine that the websites to which
you need to distribute this data are each independently managed
by webmasters with skills ranging from “FrontPage Only”
to “expert programmer”, on platforms ranging from
the cheapest “economy hosting package” with no database
server to fully operational, self-contained web applications.
Does this sound like an impossible scene from a nightmare?
If
you could provide syndicated, secure, authenticated display
and interaction with data from a database as easily you currently
provide RSS or XML feeds, then the nightmare would be transformed
into a pleasant. Thanks to real estate search company The HomeNet,
Inc. and Talkingstone Solutions, the dream is now a reality.
The
situation described above is exactly what The HomeNet and Talkingstone
faced when they began planning to combine all property listings
from hundreds of fragmented Realtor, For Sale By Owner, Foreclosure
and Rental Property advertising websites into a single database
that would be available to each of the contributing members.
To
overcome the monumental obstacles of working with hundreds of
users of every skill level, and just as many hosting platforms,
as well as the demanding requirements placed on them by interested
contributor/participants, The HomeNet and Talkingstone set about
developing a way to provide syndicated interaction with the
massive real estate database. This eliminated the need to send
copies of the entire database to each participant regularly.
It was also critical to the project that results be displayed
in a customizable template of the participant’s choosing,
and that no unauthorized user would be able to access the same
system.
The
result, visible at TheHomeNet.com and several of their affiliates’
websites, is codenamed “Whippoorwill”. An official
live demo is accessible at nTouchRealEstate.com.
Whippoorwill,
like Google Adsense, can provide context-appropriate information
on initial page load. But unlike Adsense, Whippoorwill then
allows users to interact with the data, in a templated interface,
without ever refreshing the page, leaving the original page,
or using frames.
Using tools available in the open source community (Linux, Java,
Javascript, HTML, DHTML and XML), Whippoorwill is simple enough
for someone with no programming experience whatsoever to paste
a script into a page where they’d like it to show up,
and have instant access to the parent data – no knowledge
of complex Web Services is needed (SOAP, XML, .Net, etc.).
It’s
also robust enough that even a casual programmer can take a
data-only feed, and completely customize the display to suit
their needs –with no required knowledge of, or access
to, Web Services.
What
kind of people will benefit from this?
Consumers, businesses and other organizations will all enjoy
the functionality Whippoorwill’s technology gives them.
End
users can look forward to being able to search their information
of choice from anywhere convenient for them, rather than having
to specifically visit the website of an information provider.
Business
and organizations will love using the network affect to reach
customers/users – by partnering with other websites, they
can put their information in front of customers where they already
are, rather than advertising to get visitors directly to their
own website to access information.
A
specific example: After Hurricane Katrina, dozens of
websites popped up to help survivors and loved ones find one
another. Each had its own independent list, which made it difficult
for loved ones to search all lists a survivor may have posted
themselves to. It wasn’t long before aggregating sites
popped up allowing users to search many sites at once. Whippoorwill,
however, would allow an organization such as FEMA or the Red
Cross to coordinate a central, common database that would be
accessed and searched from any website that subscribed to the
disaster feed. That way no matter what website a survivor posted
themselves to, their name would appear on the dozens of others
as well – and no matter what site a loved one visited
to search, they would be searching all known names, simultaneously.
Syndicated
databases will be of interest to anyone wishing to distribute
large amounts of data in an interactive form. The surface has
only begun to be scratched, and there will be an incredible
number of unknown-as-of-yet uses for this exciting technology.
--
30 --
The HomeNet, Inc., (www.thehomenet.com)
based in Birmingham, Ala., is a new technology, service, and
marketing medium for real estate companies that aggregates properties
from hundreds of fragmented online sources (such as Agent websites,
the MLS, For Sale By Owner websites and Foreclosure websites),
and then in turn distributes that combined directory back out
to the contributors. It is the online equivalent of the widely
distributed "Homes" magazines.
Talkingstone Solutions, LLC, is a Birmingham, Ala. software
development company.
