Social Peek

SocialPeek API

You can use SocialPeek to generate your own 'peeks' into what's happening. There are two options: you can download the pure Java library and use it in your applications; or you can use the web service to do all the hard work for you. The web service can generate JSON, RSS or XML data for you. In fact, it's exactly what we used on the homepage of this site.

The API is free to use - if you find it useful please contact us and tell us how you used it.

If you want to view the API documentation for the Java library, it's available here.

Web Service is REST based (no SOAP here)

The base URL of the API sits at http://socialpeek.com/spws/social.peek

Required arguments:

type (the service you want to use, can be random, blinkx, blogger, bloglines, delicious, digg, flickr, lastfm, live search, technorati, truveo, twingly, twitter, we feel fine, wordpress, yahoo search or youtube)
return (the data type you want returned, can be rss, xml or json)

Optional arguments:

number (returns up-to the number of peeks available, may not always return the exact number)
keyword (specify single or multiple keywords to peek for, seperare keywords with a comma i.e. happy,sad,sexy)
user (if the service supports it, you can target a specific user, user should be the username or login of the user you want to view)

Sometimes arguments can't be used together (twitter and keywords don't match, users and keywords isn't supported at all), we are still developing everything so if you get an error please let us know, however it should tell you (in your chosen data return format).

Sample Queries

single random peek displayed in RSS
http://socialpeek.com/spws/social.peek?type=random&return=rss

10 random peeks displayed in JSON
http://socialpeek.com/spws/social.peek?type=random&return=json&number=10

single peek from lastfm using 'cloudy' as a keyword displayed in XML
http://socialpeek.com/spws/social.peek?type=lastfm&return=xml&keyword=cloudy

10 peeks from technorati using 'community' and 'obese' as keywords displayed in RSS
http://socialpeek.com/spws/social.peek?type=technorati&return=rss&keyword=community,obese&number=10

single random peek from 'techcrunch' user on twitter displayed in RSS
http://socialpeek.com/spws/social.peek?type=twitter&return=rss&user=TechCrunch

10 peeks from 'tremendoustrifles' user on del.icio.us displayed in RSS
http://socialpeek.com/spws/social.peek?type=delicious&return=rss&user=tremendoustrifles&number=10

Sample Returned Results

RSS sample


<rss version="2.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/">
<channel>
	<title>SocialPeek</title>

	<description>SocialPeek0.1a, take a look at the internet - right now!</description>
	<link>http://socialpeek.com</link>
	<image>
	<url>http://socialpeek.com/socialpeek-logo.gif</url>
	<link>http://socialpeek.com</link>
  	<title>SocialPeek</title>
  	<width>120</width>
  	<height>64</height>
  	</image>
 		<item>
  		<title>Scrabble Tries to Fight a Popular Impostor at Its Own Game</title>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>RealNetworks is quietly introducing a version of Scrabble on Facebook, despite pledging to save 
        Scrabulous, the popular, unauthorized online version of the board game.</p>
        Posted: <strong>Mon, 7 Apr 2008 21:10:43 -0700</strong></p>]]></description>
  		<link>http://technorati.com/articles/IUtKYoYypcRu4x7sTQT8%2FH%2B9QYa73OsxpVW%2FBmMdfH4%3D</link>
  		<guid>http://technorati.com/articles/IUtKYoYypcRu4x7sTQT8%2FH%2B9QYa73OsxpVW%2FBmMdfH4%3D</guid>
  		<pubDate>Mon, 7 Apr 2008 21:10:43 -0700</pubDate>
  		<media:title>Scrabble Tries to Fight a Popular Impostor at Its Own Game</media:title>
  	</item>
  </channel>
</rss>

JSON sample

{"post":{"headline":"Scrabble Tries to Fight a Popular Impostor at Its Own Game","body":"RealNetworks is quietly introducing a version of Scrabble on
 Facebook, despite pledging to save Scrabulous, the popular, unauthorized online version of the board game.",
 "link":"http://technorati.com/articles/IUtKYoYypcRu4x7sTQT8%2FH%2B9QYa73OsxpVW%2FBmMdfH4%3D","date":"Mon, 7 Apr 2008 21:10:43 -0700"}}

XML sample

<socialpeek>
	<post source="http://www.last.fm/music/Justice/_/Genesis">
		<headline><![CDATA[Genesis]]></headline>
		<body><![CDATA[<a href="http://www.last.fm/user/intimaAcE">intimaAcE</a> was listening to 
        '<a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Justice/_/Genesis">Genesis</a>', 
        by <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Justice">Justice</a> on 21 Mar 2008, 10:48]]></body>
		<link>http://www.last.fm/music/Justice/_/Genesis</link>
		<date>Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:48:00 -0700</date>
		<user>intimaAcE</user>
		<user_photo>http://cdn.last.fm/depth/catalogue/noimage/nouser_140px.jpg</user_photo>
	</post>
</socialpeek>

If you use our API, please put a link back to us somewhere, we spent ages working on this!

Social Peek (beta)

SocialPeek API

Web Service is REST based (no SOAP here)

Sample Queries

Sample Returned Results