"if this then that" -- supersimple web automation

[Triple Zero]

check it out, the website is pretty self-explanatory:

http://ifttt.com/wtf

quoting:
--------
Tasks
Put the internet to work for you by creating tasks that fit this simple structure:
if this then that
Think of all the things you could do if you were able to define any task as:  when something happens (this) then do something else (that).


Triggers
if  this  then that
The  this part of a task is the Trigger. Some example Triggers are "if I'm tagged in a photo on Facebook"  or  "if I tweet on Twitter."


Actions
if this then  that
The  that  part of a task is the Action. Some example Actions are  "then send me a text message"  or  "then create a status message on Facebook."


Channels
Triggers and Actions come from Channels. Channels are the unique services and devices you use every day. Some example channels:

Twitter 
Facebook 
Instagram
Email 
Phone Call 
Weather

All together now
When you put one channel's trigger together with another channel's action, that's a task! Here is a task that saves every new photo I take with Instagram to my Dropbox: (image)


Recipes
Create a recipe to share a task with friends. Here is a recipe for the task above: (other image)


On/Off
Tasks can be turned on and off. When turned back on, they pick up as if you had just created them.


Polling period
Tasks poll for new trigger data every  15  minutes.
==================

I actually haven't tried it yet myself, but I'm signing up. It seems super simple, and I bet you guys can use it for all sorts of insane creative stuff

The cool thing is, if you do this, you're actually computer-programming That's right, the basic building block in most computer programs is a whole chained linked series of "if this then that" rules.

Let me know if you do anything cool with it, I wonder what this baby can do!

[Triple Zero]

Some ideas, you can also use RSS feeds for the "this" part, and RSS feeds are available for lots of things, Flickr posts, weblogs, news, google searches, etc.

Additionally, if you have a blog, you can configure it to automatically post things you mail to a (secret) mail address (at least Wordpress can, and I suppose Blogspot too), so you can fill in that email address for the "that" part and have something autopost shit to your blog!

[Triple Zero]

and some more ideas from hackernews:
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2970550

[Epimetheus]

OMG  (that's a high-five high-fiving a high-five)

[Epimetheus]

Aw, wait a sec, the only triggers are the stuff you post on those websites. So this is essentially a collection of the "sharing activity" options that most websites like those channels already have... 

[Triple Zero]

Aw, wait a sec, the only triggers are the stuff you post on those websites. So this is essentially a collection of the "sharing activity" options that most websites like those channels already have... 

Yes, except it's automatic, and it doesn't have to be your personal stuff (as long as it's public), also I'm led to believe there's more triggers available than mentioned on the front page. But I still haven't tried it yet. See the hackernews thread for interesting stuff others have done.

[rong]

if "myself or anyone I am friends posts on facebook" then "tweet that my friend just posted on facebook"
and
if "myself or anyone that I follow tweets on twitter" then "post that i (or whoever) just tweeted on twitter"

could get pretty annoying to, like, everyone you know.

edit: to make even more annoying

[Bruno]

check it out, the website is pretty self-explanatory:

http://ifttt.com/wtf

quoting:
--------
Tasks
Put the internet to work for you by creating tasks that fit this simple structure:
if this then that
Think of all the things you could do if you were able to define any task as:  when something happens (this) then do something else (that).


Triggers
if  this  then that
The  this part of a task is the Trigger. Some example Triggers are "if I'm tagged in a photo on Facebook"  or  "if I tweet on Twitter."


Actions
if this then  that
The  that  part of a task is the Action. Some example Actions are  "then send me a text message"  or  "then create a status message on Facebook."


Channels
Triggers and Actions come from Channels. Channels are the unique services and devices you use every day. Some example channels:

Twitter 
Facebook 
Instagram
Email 
Phone Call 
Weather

All together now
When you put one channel's trigger together with another channel's action, that's a task! Here is a task that saves every new photo I take with Instagram to my Dropbox: (image)


Recipes
Create a recipe to share a task with friends. Here is a recipe for the task above: (other image)


On/Off
Tasks can be turned on and off. When turned back on, they pick up as if you had just created them.


Polling period
Tasks poll for new trigger data every  15  minutes.
==================

I actually haven't tried it yet myself, but I'm signing up. It seems super simple, and I bet you guys can use it for all sorts of insane creative stuff

The cool thing is, if you do this, you're actually computer-programming That's right, the basic building block in most computer programs is a whole chained linked series of "if this then that" rules.

Let me know if you do anything cool with it, I wonder what this baby can do!

So... If I "activate my Facebook channel", am I handing over control of my facebook account to ifttt?

[Epimetheus]

So... If I "activate my Facebook channel", am I handing over control of my facebook account to ifttt?

I can't find anything specifically about that in their Terms or Privacy Policy (after skimming both), but all the apps/sites I've given those permissions to only want them for the purposes of the site's functions. Ifttt has no reason to go beyond the bounds of its defined function in its use of your account, and furthermore it would be harmful to its credibility to do so. If it ever does, you can immediately cancel the connection. I wouldn't worry about that.

[Triple Zero]

So... If I "activate my Facebook channel", am I handing over control of my facebook account to ifttt?

Probably, yeah.

But you're already using Facebook so I don't quite understand why you're having trouble handing over control of your PI to a small startup that most probably just does exactly what it says on the box and nothing else when you've already relinquished this control over to a multi-billion dollar corporation that you know is passing this data to the NSA, is already selling it to advertisers and other corporations, getting secretly subpoena'd by your government left and right, is able to track you on every website you visit if it has a "Like" button on it (whether you click it or not) and deliberately tries to make it difficult for you (and websites you visit) to protect your privacy.

Ok that's unfair. I do understand why, and it's because your primate brain is unable to intuitively make a correct assessment of relative risks that are both quite small, especially in the light that the much larger one, all your friends and family are already taking.

That said, fuck Facebook, IFTTT is useful for many other things.