src/Tweeper.php: add a retry mechanism for cURL sessions

[tweeper.git] / README

diff --git a/README b/README
index 46a2fe5..7d47e8e 100644 (file)
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-Tweeper is a web scraper which extracts the most recent public tweets of
-a given user from their home page on Twitter.com and formats them in RSS, so
-the information can be conveniently accessed and collected by a feed reader.
+Tweeper is a web scraper which can be used to conveniently follow the public
+activity of social network users without the need to log in or even be
+subscribed to the social network; tweeper converts the public information to
+RSS so that it can be accessed and collected by a feed reader.

 
 

-Since Jun 11th 2013 Twitter.com retired their API v1.0, so it's not possible
-to access a user timeline via RSS anymore, and it's also become mandatory to
-authenticate via OAuth to access this _public_ information in JSON format:
+Since Jun 11th 2013, when Twitter.com retired their API v1.0, it has not been
+possible anymore to access a user timeline via RSS, and it has also become
+mandatory to authenticate via OAuth to access this _public_ information in the
+JSON format:

 
   https://dev.twitter.com/discussions/16289
   https://dev.twitter.com/discussions/11564
 
   https://dev.twitter.com/discussions/16289
   https://dev.twitter.com/discussions/11564


@@ -13,9 +15,10 @@ Some services came up to overcome this "problem":
 
   http://twss.55uk.net/
   http://twitter-rss.com/ (now redirecting to google.com)
 
   http://twss.55uk.net/
   http://twitter-rss.com/ (now redirecting to google.com)

+  http://rssitfor.me

 
 However these solutions are still shady and let no control to the user about
 
 However these solutions are still shady and let no control to the user about

-who collects informations about the visited user timelines.
+who collects the information about the visited user timelines.

 
 This is why Tweeper[1] was born, as an Open Source way to keep following your
 friends with a certain degree of anonymity, without having to tell Twitter.com
 
 This is why Tweeper[1] was born, as an Open Source way to keep following your
 friends with a certain degree of anonymity, without having to tell Twitter.com


@@ -23,18 +26,35 @@ whom you are friend to.
 
 [1] http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=TWEEPER&defid=3743173
 
 
 [1] http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=TWEEPER&defid=3743173
 

+Tweeper can easily scrape sites other than Twitter, it is just a matter of
+writing an xsl stylesheet for the transformation; an example for pump.io
+activity stream is provided in rss_converter_pump.io.xsl
+
+The currently supported sites are:
+
+  * Twitter.com
+  * Pump.io based websites, like Identi.ca
+  * Dilbert.com
+  * Instagram.com
+  * Facebook.com (public pages)
+

 Tweeper can be used via web or as a command line program, for example as
 Tweeper can be used via web or as a command line program, for example as

-a filter in your feed reader.
+a filter in your feed reader, by passing the URL of the user's public timeline
+as the first argument.

 
 Example of use on the command line:
 
 
 Example of use on the command line:
 

-  $ php tweeper.php NSACareers
+  $ php tweeper.php https://twitter.com/NSACareers

 
 Example of use as a Liferea[2] filter:
 
 
 Example of use as a Liferea[2] filter:
 

-  $ liferea-add-feed  "|php .../path_to_tweeper/tweeper.php NSAcareers"
+  $ liferea-add-feed  "|php .../path_to_tweeper/tweeper.php https://twitter.com/NSAcareers"
+
+Example of use with identi.ca:
+
+  $ liferea-add-feed  "|php .../path_to_tweeper/tweeper.php http://identi.ca/evan"

 
 [2] http://lzone.de/liferea/
 
 Tweeper is licensed under the GPLv3.
 
 [2] http://lzone.de/liferea/
 
 Tweeper is licensed under the GPLv3.

-Tweeper was written by Antonio Ospite http://ao2.it
+Tweeper was written by Antonio Ospite https://ao2.it