Sponsors with APIs? Can you do this?
 

Question for you sponsor programs out there. How many of you have APIs that let me pull data from your database? For example, can I pull your most recent scene? Can I pull its pictures and hosted video URLs?

I just wrote software like this for a sponsor, and it got me thinking about the possibilities if the majority of sponsors supported this type of data retrieval.

I made a tech demo so you can see what I'm talking about more easily:

http://dev.edgeprod.com/apiclient/index.php

That pulls the most recent scene, and displays a hosted video (if one exists). If not, it shows the "large" picture. It then pulls the scene title, the models in the scene, and the scene teaser text. It pulls the URL for the tour, and a couple of other images as well, and then slaps them up on a page.

At no point does the user (this site, in my example) have access to the "raw" database; it's all done through an API.

If you provide this service to your webmasters, please contact me via ICQ (501917) so I can add you to a massive promotional project. I will include EVERY update you can get me, regardless of niche.

Great job man! I would venture to say that nearly no sponsors have an API though. :-(

Thanks .. it does a lot more than that demo shows (sorting, updating, etc), but that URL gives the basic idea.

I'd tend to agree with your assessment, but I'm hoping that there's a chance I'm wrong. I've written a number of programs to utilize APIs to automatically create huge interlinked (and organically auto-updating) SEO blogs, forums, tubes, free sites, etc. Basically, if a sponsor has an API, I can scale out a massive affiliate network for them in minutes.

Keep working on it. Sounds great. Nice to see innovation.

Nice!
Reminds me of a script i wrote some time ago that got sponsors FHG's from provided rss feeds (if provided, else from a huge static list) and then created SEO'd pages, including pics/movies from the original fhg and keyword-rich articles, auto-generated using the original fhg description as a basis.. damn, need to dig that out again.


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It's funny that you mention a script like that, because that's exactly where the idea for this came from. I was scraping RSS feeds, but I was at the mercy of RSS updates and/or the materials provided with the feed.

I decided to create the API to provide different image formats, URLs for hosted media, all of the descriptions, dates, model names, etc, that I could need -- all in an XML format that worked with my existing scrapers. :winkwink:

This API is completely XML-based, so your scrapers should work with it, too, if you want to promote Pride Bucks. I can hook you up with whatever features you need to promote 'em.

Cool thing! That could actually be an option for a project i have in mind. Noted your icq# and will hit you up as soon as i find my original script.. i only have to sift through 3 or so hard disks ;)

Haha, gotcha. :winkwink:

APIs are kinda gay, but it is nice to see someone pushing the technology in adult biz a bit forward :)

Gay? Sounds perfect for Pride Bucks, then .. the API fits the content. :thumbsup

For your consideration: api.pinkvisual.com

This is EXACTLY what I need. You guys are going to be getting some promo. :thumbsup

I made a couple of tech demos based on the data that was available:

http://www.gayheap.com
http://blog.gayheap.com
http://tube.gayheap.com

I whipped each of these sites up in less than 30 minutes, including design, using the API.

The first example pulls the most recent scene from 3 different sites, then displays a hosted video (if one exists). If not, it shows the "large" picture. It then pulls the scene title, the models in the scene, and the scene teaser text. It pulls the URL for the tour, and a couple of other images as well, and then slaps them up on a page. Easy-peasy, and it updates when the sites update. Surfers can scroll to older updates with the navigation at the bottom of the page. I didn't add any search because my goal was to finish each site in less than 30 minutes, as a proof of concept.

The second example was a (CSS) re-skin of the original site, without the thumbnail row, and without the flash videos. More of a "blog" feel to it. It has the "full" descriptions for the sets, rather than the shorter ones used on the previous site.

The third example is just a simple attempt at making a MGP masquerading as a simple tube. It just refers the surfer to the tour pages, but it serves as a proof-of-concept for handling video-type sites.

they invented rss feeds for that

While I'm sure you're just joking, there are some people out there who are actually ignorant enough to believe that RSS will do the job, so I wanted to make sure I replied and made it clear that I am NOT looking for RSS feeds from programs. Those will NOT do what I am looking for .. not even close. So please don't post 'em, only contact me if you have a true API, and I'll add you to a large network immediately.

We can build something if you are looking for more variety. Currently, our cam-reg API allows affiliates to create user accounts for their customers in real time. Send me an email and let me know if there is something specific that you would want to use for cams. jeff at vsmedia d0t c0m

Well, I'm not currently interested in APIs that *insert* data, only in APIs that pull data OUT. Does yours do that? If so, you're in.

LMK what you're looking for, we have a ton of content and definitely the capabilities to build an API that allows you to pull that content

This puts you ahead of the run-of-the-mill affiliate that has to check manually for updates. For big studios this would work and you could probably pull money from them to implement it. For the smaller guys it'd be like pulling teeth and you'd have to make something standard and mainstream (like what strongbox is to the industry).

Well, the aim is to make the money from the promotions, but you're right: this capability is something I could definitely standardize and facilitate.


Let me send you an e-mail, then we can follow up via phone.

sorry if this is off topi but what about apis from tube sites? is it good idea to use their api,make your own website,get traffic and sell ads? I'm thinking making a tube aggregator site.. is this a good idea?

for example : http://api.redtube.com/docs/

I think making *any* site is a good idea. You never know what will take off.

im not joking. If a sponsor has his shit together rss feeds will do the job. To bad most of them dont.

Unfortunately, no, they won't. You'd have to query the broad-scope RSS feed itself, parse the data you want, hope it's actually available in the feed, and then go through all of the tap-dancing to get it into the formats and places you wanted.

What if I want a model's height? What if I want her hair color? What if I want a different size image? What if I want just the performer's names? Let's be serious here: RSS does not provide what I need. XML does, sure, but RSS feeds do not. Let's not confuse people .. we definitely don't need MORE ignorance on GFY, can we agree on that?

Please, sponsors, this is NOT what I am looking for. I'm NOT interested if you have RSS feeds alone. This is not nearly enough, and does not provide anywhere near the flexibility (not to mention format) I need for this project.

Still adding more. Is Pink Visual going to be the only one sucking up all of this free promotion?

If so... that's OK, we don't mind.

Grin, I'm sure you don't. :1orglaugh

TopBucks and I have done so much business in the past (TopCash, TopBucks, Autoblogger Pro, Pride Studios) ... it's only natural that you guys get lots of love from this project.

Last go-around for sponsors. Found 3 so far, and that's pretty sad. If you don't know if you can provide this, contact me and I can see if your DB is easy enough to modify that I can just give your tech people my code.

bump, cause APIs are awesome. Would like to see more sample API commands/docs though, not just the results.

They haven't released it to affiliates yet. I built those sites as "proof of concept" materials for them to come up with the docs, etc. :)