Online address book?

May 20, 2006 10:34 PM

I would like to make or use a web2.0ish personal address book. Little image for the person, birth date, phone number that opens up skype and starts dialing, address, etc. Does something like this exist?

Obviously it would need to be password protected. I'm fine with hosting it (php?) on my own server as long as there are explicit instructions.

Did I just give away the next 3 billion dollar web2.0 idea?

posted by allthewhile to computers & internet (5 comments total)

The only bit that sounds non-trivial to me is the "phone number that opens up Skype" bit. I can't think of a web application which does anything like that, and of course it would have security issues.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 2:26 AM on May 21, 2006

ehhh... the non-trivial part is getting people to use it rather than using the address book connected with their email client...

The email client is a no-brainer for where to keep your information, as names/email addresses already have to be stored there...

If you want it to really be web 2.0, it'll be able to interact with whatever type of address book system you already use, but make it better...

I'm thinking of a page that'll integrate my gmail address book with 30 boxes calendar, or maybe my yahoo mail with my gmail calendar...

Right now there's no idea that isn't being tried in some way shape or form, the "killer apps" just make things as easy as possible (youtube), integrate with everything (30boxes/google apps), or provide the community to make it fun.

The best angle you could take would be a "Tie everything together" address book that would read through all of your contacts on gmail, flickr, myspace, yahoo, Outlook, etc, and be able to see all of their info at once (i.e. go to a page, see any recent postings on Myspace, latest pictures on flickr, email conversations, etc... )

If users have to enter information to start using your application, you're hosed... 99% will get bored in the first 5 minutes... You have to make it so easy to get started that its easier to keep using it, rather than go back to the way they already keep their contacts.
posted by hatsix at 3:03 AM on May 21, 2006

This isn't as interactive, but it's pretty good.
posted by divabat at 4:34 AM on May 21, 2006

The only bit that sounds non-trivial to me is the "phone number that opens up Skype" bit. I can't think of a web application which does anything like that, and of course it would have security issues.

The webapp would merely need to format phone numbers as hrefs in the form of "callto://00121..." Skype registers the callto:// handler when installed, so any such links will make it ask if you want to dial the number.

This wouldn't have security issues unless there is some currently unknown overflow in the way Skype handles numbers passed to it.

If you can find a piece of existing software that you can host yourself it shouldn't be too hard to hack the code that displays phone numbers to make callto:// links...

If you can't find or modify any suitable address book software: There is an official Skype Firefox toolbar that changes all phone numbers that appear in web pages so that they become callto:// links. Personally I'd rather not use this, but it may fit your needs.
posted by Olli at 6:59 AM on May 21, 2006

It may not be all Web 2.0ish but Outlook has all of the contact fields and management features you mentioned, and many more. While the built-in phone dialing engine of Outlook isn't compatible with Skype out of the box, there are a variety of pretyt solid add ins (I use Look2Skype) which make Outlook a very nice Skype dialer.
posted by MattD at 5:19 PM on May 21, 2006