Monday, June 18, 2012

Introducing Grid Control

I've always been fascinated with the concept of the "grid" or the "system". And I've always been fascinated with the concept of dropping off said grid.
So I'm announcing in a very adult way that I'm going to be developing a piece of software that will let you "drop off the grid". It will be called Grid Control (gridcontrol), and it will be awesome.
Grid Control will ask you to connect all the accounts you can think of (you'll be able to add more later), and then provide two options:
  1. Drop off the grid
  2. Delete me from the grid/Remove me from the grid
So basically dropping off the grid will hide your presence on the Internet. For example, if you tell Grid Control about your Google (Talk) Account, it will try to find other accounts connected to your Google Account, and suggest adding these too. When you click on Drop off the grid, since it knows about your Google Talk account, it will cause you to go invisible, thereby hiding your presence. If you click Delete me from the grid, it will first warn you and then proceed to permanently delete your accounts - in this case, your Google Account. Eventually it will also allow you to change these phrases, depending on which suggestion ("Drop off the grid" and "Drop off the system" are two examples) you think is most awesome.
Wherever it can, it will try to be smart. For example, if it causes you to go invisible in Google Talk, it will remember what your status was before (Online or Busy). Later, it will provide an option to Return to the grid, which will make it restore your previous account state. Grid Control will never make permanent changes to any account in the course of dropping someone off the grid, at least not without asking. Also, if you drop off the grid, then add a new account, Grid Control will drop you off the grid for that account, too.
Grid Control will eventually be live at gridcontrol.alexj.jumpingcrab.com. The source will be on GitHub, so if you don't trust me with your accounts, you can run your own installation.

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