AIM Pages are not an "API" (application programming interface") in the way most developers normally think of APIs. You don't go to a documentation page and find a set of methods with input and output parameters. In fact, if you go to AIMPages.com you'll think you're visiting just another social networking site.
And yet, AIM Pages really are an API when you look at the manner in which they are constructed, the openness of the programming model. AIM Pages are constructed by application of the AOL ModuleT microformat, which was designed by AOL Developers Shawn Carnell, Joe Dzikiewicz, Kevin Lawver, and Paul Maneesilasan. ModuleT provides the opportunity for developers to write "modules" which can then be flexibly inserted into an AIM Page. A module is akin to a "widget" (a more well-known term today for components that can be inserted into a Web page).
Everyone who has an AIM screen name has an AIM Page at AIMPages.com. Since I have several screen names, I have several AIM Pages. It's very easy to remember your AIM Pages URL as well. It's simply http://www.aimpages.com/YourScreenName/profile.html. For example, the AIM Page for my kevinfarnham1 screen name is at:
If you look at my AIM Pages profile, you'll notice some features that are on my page that you may not see on your own or on most AIM Pages. For example, there's an up-to-date feed of all my posts on dev.aol.com blog. And there's a "countdown" section, which currently is telling us how many days have passed since the Mashup University and Mashup Camp I attended in Boston in January (since I haven't updated it to look forward to a new event). Then there are sections where you can launch Userplane Webchat; "The Daily Pulse," a news feed from AOL.com; and the "About Today" section.
I was able to add all of these pretty cool features simply by editing my profile, selecting modules from the module menu system, then dragging and dropping the modules at the location in my page where I wanted each module to appear. Compare this (for those of you with experience) with what you'd have to do to add these features to your MySpace page! And of course, on MySpace, forget about putting things where you want to put them, because you're tied to the rigid, uneditable, table-based MySpace profile page structure.
It is somewhat startling to me that AIM Pages haven't rocketed into the mainstream as a social networking site, given the fabulous capabilities enabled by modules, the incredible flexibility the ModuleT-based page construction provides, and the simplicity of the drag-and-drop profile editing user interface.
But, recognition for AIM Pages may accelerate over time, due in part to AOL's OpenID initiative: everyone who has an AIM screen name has an AOL OpenID URI of the form http://openid.aol.com/YourScreenName. But if you enter this URL into a Web browser, you are redirected to YourScreenName's AIM Page!
For example, observe what happens if you click on my AOL OpenID URI below:
References
If you search for "AIM Pages" on the AOL Developer Network, you'll find a lot of links. I've blogged about AIM Pages many times, and Jeremy Matzan contributed an article titled "Styling Your AIM Pages Home Page" to help people get started with customizing the look of their AIM Page. If you'd like to develop modules for AIM Page modules, the AIM Pages IAmAlpha developer site is your perfect starting point.
-- Kevin Farnham
O'Reilly Media
layouts?
what about layouts for AIMpages?