An Open Invitation to Authors and Other AddOn Hosting Sites

***Cairenn*** · 05-13-09, 02:59 PM

As most of you are aware we have been working on a new project, Minion. Now that we have the API pretty much finished, we would like to extend an invitation to you to write a module for it for your site.

1. Modules? What do you mean, modules?

The way it has been written, anyone who wants to write a module for Minion to allow it to add functionality for their site will be able to do so. This means that there could be a module for it to work for Wowhead. Or Wowdb. Or for an author's personal site such as Norganna's. Or for Curse. Or wowui.incgamers. Or ….

2. Why would I want to write a module for it?

As we all know, end users want a single application to handle all of their AddOn updates, their uploads to the various Database sites, etc. Minion makes that request of users a real possibility.

3. How is it fair to me?

If you choose to write a module for it, you will be able show your own ads, as well as respect any site Premium/Non-Premiun membership controls you wish whenever a user is on the tab for your module.

4. What types of modules can be made?

• Modules that update addons from any site
• Modules that upload data to a site (such as for datamining addons)
• Modules that provide a new way to extract addons (such as for the RAR format, etc.)
• Modules that present news information to the user (such as blue trackers, economy status, or anything else you think the user might want to know)

If you have any other ideas of types of modules that might be useful, please feel free to request an API for it. We're always open to ideas and willing to work with you.

The three things you will need to get started are:

MMOUI Minion API and Documentation – the general overview of Minion modules
Minion Javadocs – the technical documentation for writing modules
Auto-Update API – the documentation for allowing your module to auto-update

We have created a Minion Dev Discussion forum so you can get help creating your module, ask questions, report bugs, make suggestions, etc.

Also, fyi, we have already been in touch with Norganna's team (Auctioneer, Gatherer, Enchantrix), Kaelten at WowAce, NeT at Curse, Rushster at wowui.incgamers, etc. telling them about Minion's module system and inviting them to write modules for their sites if they wish.

[Edit]: As I mentioned, I've been speaking with people on other sites about the possibility of them writing modules for it. I got a response from Rushster:

Originally Posted by Rushster

Thanks for the heads-up. Very cool idea on Minion, like it alot

.

< snip >

That sounds great and I know we will defintely check it out. It' a great first step to a unversal updater for all Wow users.

< snip >

Anyway, great work on that and I will get [incgamer staff member] here to check it out, < snip > it would be cool to work with WoWI and create a univeral updater to work on both sites.

Spookie455 · 05-13-09, 03:29 PM

tl;dr version:

Minion & it's modules are pure win? :P

LittleWhiteDove · 05-13-09, 05:37 PM

This is great

I do get mods from some of the other sites you have mentioned. Being able to download a module, from their sites, that will work with Minion will certainly be wonderful.

Thank you for going this route rather than keeping it restricted to your site only. I hope alot of them take advantage of your offer.

PS - Yes I am a site supporter here, but also for 2 of the other sites you have mentioned so this is not just a site support post.

Petrah · 05-13-09, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Cairenn

Also, fyi, we have already been in touch with Norganna's team (Auctioneer, Gatherer, Enchantrix), Kaelten at WowAce, NeT at Curse, Rushster at wowui.incgamers, etc. telling them about Minion's module system and inviting them to write modules for their sites if they wish.

Just curious; will each site have their own tab? Or rather, will the end user be able to choose if there is a specific site they do not wish to download anything from?

***Cairenn*** · 05-13-09, 06:05 PM

The user will only install the modules for the site(s) they wish to use.

And yes, every module gets its own tab.

Sepioth · 05-13-09, 08:10 PM

Great news... Glad to see it's starting to get off the ground ..

Good Job Guys and Girls

Nastarria · 05-13-09, 09:12 PM

I can not wait to use minion... it's looking like a really nice addition to the WoW Community.

Also, I know this might get me in a little bit of trouble, but Minion is doing what WoWMatrix was Aiming to do (make addon downloads/updates more easier for end users) but in a more community Friendly way... Not doing it first, THEN try and work out a plan with a site later.

Anyway... Not wanting to start anything...

Good work and Can't wait to start using Minion.

Shlemm · 05-14-09, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Nastarria

Good work and Can't wait to start using Minion.

And yet you will wait.

I'm always amazed at the sheer number of "OMG, can't wait" for one thing or another, and still they do.

voodoodad · 05-14-09, 11:14 AM

Truthfully, I most likely won't use the minion very much because as I've stated before, I actually prefer updating by hand (or mouse as the case may be). That being said, I feel like a 10 year old waiting for Chrismas day over the release of the minion! I will gladly use it in beta testing to help boost the best WoW related site of them all.

C'MON SUNDAY!!!

Petrah · 05-14-09, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by Cairenn

The user will only install the modules for the site(s) they wish to use.

And yes, every module gets its own tab.

Hehe... thank you.

You musta saw the post I deleted. I thought perhaps I posted it in the wrong place.

***Cairenn*** · 05-14-09, 01:30 PM

Yes I did and no you didn't. It's a valid question in this thread.

***Cairenn*** · 05-14-09, 02:48 PM

As I mentioned, I've been speaking with people on other sites about the possibility of them writing modules for it. I got a response from Rushster:

Originally Posted by Rushster

Thanks for the heads-up. Very cool idea on Minion, like it alot

.

< snip technical stuff >

That sounds great and I know we will defintely check it out. It' a great first step to a unversal updater for all Wow users.

< snip more technical stuff >

Anyway, great work on that and I will get [incgamer staff member] here to check it out, < snip irrelevant stuff > it would be cool to work with WoWI and create a univeral updater to work on both sites.

Yhor · 05-14-09, 04:29 PM

I love it when a community comes together.

gothicknight · 05-14-09, 06:12 PM

Big thank you to the WoWI staff and memebers for helping to bring the community to together with this Minion and allowing other sites to write modules for it. Bloody brilliant.

Bluspacecow · 05-15-09, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by voodoodad2000

Truthfully, I most likely won't use the minion very much because as I've stated before, I actually prefer updating by hand (or mouse as the case may be).

Me neither most truthfully. Well I am excited to see the results of Shirak's work (love seeing the results of hard work

) it's not quite what I want in a client.

Would love to see a push client that would work using the emails I currently get and tags that addon authors would tag their updates with to "push" updates to me.

IE It would work similar to how Software Update on OS X works. That is it gets checked regularly say every week or 2 weeks checks said updates for tags i specify and automatically come up with a box saying "These addons have updates ...this is what's changed ... do you want to update ?"

Of course it would depend on the authors tagging their updates so they would hence need an easy way of doing this when uploading updates.

/stealthly plants seed for Next Gen of Addon updater clients

LadySilverwolf · 05-16-09, 08:10 AM

*grins* Tomarrow is the big release date yes?

Looking forward to it.

us2006027321 · 05-16-09, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by Cairenn

The way it has been written, anyone who wants to write a module for Minion to allow it to add functionality for their site will be able to do so. This means that there could be a module for it to work for Wowhead. Or Wowdb. Or for an author's personal site such as Norganna's. Or for Curse. Or wowui.incgamers. Or…

Someone's bound to ask sooner or later, and I think I'm going to bite the bullet and take one for the team.

Would someone be able to write a module for integration with...

WoWMatrix?

There. It's out. I said it.

/brace self

voodoodad · 05-16-09, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by us2006027321

Someone's bound to ask sooner or later, and I think I'm going to bite the bullet and take one for the team.

Would someone be able to write a module for integration with...

WoWMatrix?

There. It's out. I said it.

/brace self

/FLAME!!!

/spit
/sputter

/FLAME SOME MORE!!!

Whew, I feel a little better now...

ScytheBlade1 · 05-16-09, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by us2006027321

Someone's bound to ask sooner or later, and I think I'm going to bite the bullet and take one for the team.

Would someone be able to write a module for integration with...

WoWMatrix?

There. It's out. I said it.

/brace self

One of the few posts on the matter that made me laugh.

Runkel · 05-16-09, 02:44 PM

Why im not suprized wowinterface started this project?

<3

Cant wait to try this addon updater