Yahoo! Pipes(the 7.5 minute overview for Corporate Librarians / Information Professionals)Alexander Feng

What is Yahoo! Pipes?“Pipes is a powerful composition tool to aggregate, manipulate, and mashup content from around the web.” (pipes.yahoo.com)…Or to put it another way that helps us:Combines internet data from multiple sources and feeds it into one:RSS feed, web page, map, slide show, list, Sharepoint page, email newsletter, phone, Twitter, Facebook …

How It HelpsCombines multiple RSS streams into one feedEnables custom filtering of RSS contentOn-the-fly translation of contentEnables reformatting & publishing to other platforms / intranet (Sharepoint, email)Enables RSS for non-RSS sitesIntegrates with a web page easily (embed tags)

Three “Easy” Use Cases

Sample Use #1 (very easy)Combine multiple RSS feeds into one

Combine this content(and sort by date)

End result:http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=72bd80d1d4cec7efa106b3ab93daaef5(this is an RSS feed; it also can go on a webpage (embed) or in an email, to phone)

Sample Use #2 & #3 (easy)- Add RSS feeds that need filtering- Foreign language sources

Add this feed(but only add the P&G stuff)Solution: Filter by “Procter” for this feed onlyhttp://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=d06de4ad3a180be12926aa106ece4a31

Add this French blog(but I want to read it in English)http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=821f7a4419dd4d1c36be4f49105ade65

Just the tip of the iceberg… Create your own feed for web pages without RSS feeds Modify embedded links in RSS Say, to redirect a link to Factiva instead of Lexis-Nexis Merge with Geolocation and display on a map Say, all the P&G news mapped by location Pull from CSV or XML files XBRL possibilities…Using helper applications Create an integrated, branded RSS email newsletter Archive your custom feeds for future reference

Create your own feed for web pages without RSS feeds

Modify embedded links in RSS

Say, to redirect a link to Factiva instead of Lexis-Nexis

Merge with Geolocation and display on a map

Say, all the P&G news mapped by location

Pull from CSV or XML files

XBRL possibilities…

Using helper applications

Create an integrated, branded RSS email newsletter

Archive your custom feeds for future reference

Potential GotchasRequires IE7 or FirefoxEntirely hosted by Yahoo!Only for items which are online (no items requiring authentication & proxy*)Tied to one usernameFor advanced items, may need web know-how*doable, but difficult

Introductory ResourcesPipes website:http://pipes.yahoo.comPrimer on Pipes:http://www.slaw.ca/2008/06/22/yahoo-pipes-tutorial-for-feed-mixing/Other Yahoo Pipes tutorials:http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/docs?doc=tutorials