Adding Readability To The API
Sometimes, articles online are interesting, but the layout of the page, its colors, typography, are all wrong. It’s white on black, and the text is tiny for example.
Readability is a nice system that changes the page and makes it more comfortable to read. It’s also very useful for reading texts on mobile devices. One click and all the format is clean and friendly.
We like Readability, and we know our users like it too. So, we made qoiob support this service, by adding a new parameter to the API, for people who want to send links with Readability already embedded in the short URL.
To enable it, you will need to add a new parameter to the endpoint URL call, which should now be formatted like this:
(No space after the “?” or anywhere in the link)
- EMAIL is your email address (used as username for login)
- KEY is your API key (you can find your API key on your account page)
- “format” parameter can output txt, json, or xml
- “readability” can be set to 0 (inactive) or 1 (active)
- DOMID is the ID of the domain you want to use in the shortened link (see list at http://blog.qoiob.com/post/6174059230/api-domain)
- LINK is the final URL destination, usually your endpoint variable
If you don’t want to use it, no need to do anything, and it will simply be ignored.
Note: We didn’t link user databases for cauzes.com and qoiob.com, so you will need to create an account for each if you want to use both. The API works the same on both, just need to change the domain at the beginning of the URL.
- Comments? Questions? Tell us what you think at twitter.com/qoiob_com
How to define which domain will be used when calling the API?
If you use Twitter clients like Tweetdeck (click here for setup details) or web based services like dlvr.it for instance, you can use our API to set up automatic shortcuts from your posts, etc. (click here for setup details).
By default, the system will take the first domain name available and assign it to your shortcut. But, if you want to choose your preferred domain name, you need to add one variable in the URL endpoint settings.
The variable to add is “domain::ddd” (without quotes) where ddd is the ID number of the chosen domain. For example, for ✰.ws you would use “domain::2”.
The URL then becomes:
http://qoiob.com/api/shorten/?theKitchenSink=login::xxx||apiKey::zzz||format::txt||domain::ddd||longUrl::yyy
or
http://cauzes.com/api/shorten/?theKitchenSink=login::xxx||apiKey::zzz||format::txt||domain::ddd||longUrl::yyy
(Note: there is no space after the ? or anywhere in the URL)
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Here is the list of available on qoiob.com and cauzes.com, and their respective IDs:
qoiob
➪.ws : ID=1
✰.ws : ID=2
ツ.tv : ID=3
⍥.ws : ID=5
▶.ws : ID=6
☎.ws : ID=7
♘.ws : ID=8
♟.ws : ID=9
tcho.net : ID=10
viio.net : ID=11
xoxi.net : ID=4
모.ws : ID=12
ᄒ.ws : ID=13
ж.tv : ID=14
cauzes
☾oe✡is†.ws : ID=1
eatlessmeat.ws : ID=2
freeburma.ws : ID=3
freetibet.ws : ID=4
givetojapan.ch : ID=9
nomoreplastic.ch : ID=8
pastafari.ws : ID=5
renewableenergies.ch : ID=7
stopnuclear.ch : ID=6
We will update this page when we add new domain options.
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Comments? Questions? Tell us what you think at twitter.com/qoiob_com
How to use qoiob with Tweetdeck?
Tweetdeck is a popular client for Twitter, which automatically shortens URLs while you are typing tweets. To have it use qoiob for your own shortcuts, simply follow these very easy setup steps.
1. Create your qoiob account.
You must have a qoiob account to get your own personal API key. To create an account, all you need to do is to create your first shortcut on www.qoiob.com and the validation email sent to your address will allow you to access your account page to find your API key (read more about it here).
If you already have an qoiob account, then you already have an API key. Simply login and visit your account page to find it.
2. Set up Tweetdeck
Open the Settings menu in Tweetdeck by clicking the “settings” button, in the top-right corner of the screen.
There you will find a “Services” menu on the left-hand side. Click on it.
Then, select “Other” in the drop-down menu of URLs shorteners.
In the input field “Other URL Shortening Endpoint”, enter the following string, after you replaced “xxx” by your qoiob login email address, and “zzz” by your API key. Variables are separated by ||.
http://qoiob.com/api/shorten/?theKitchenSink=login::xxx||apiKey::zzz||format::txt||longUrl::%@
(Note: there should be no space after the ? or anywhere else in the string.)
Click the “Save settings” button.
3. Activate auto-shortening in Tweetdeck
With “auto-shortening” enabled in the update window, TweetDeck will automatically shorten any URLs that you type or paste into the update box. If auto-shortening is not yet enabled, turn it on by clicking the 
button (more about auto-shortening on Tweetdeck’s support site).
Can I choose which domain will be used when new shortcuts are created automatically from the API?
Yes, read this post for more details on how to set the endpoint link.
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Comments? Questions? Tell us what you think at twitter.com/qoiob_com
Piglets and bookmarklets come in 3
We’re very excited to introduce our new bookmarklets (or piglets, as we affectionately call them) on qoiob today. There are now 3 flavors to choose from.
The first one is still available, and works fine with mobile devices such as the iPhone, where it can even be used as a “normal” bookmark. It captures the address of the page where you are, and takes you to qoiob, where the form is already filled out. It also remembers your preferences from last time, your email address, etc. You don’t need to be signed in to use it.
The second one is faster (and prettier too). When you click it, a little pop-up window opens so you don’t need to leave the page you were on. In that pop-up, you can choose a domain and keyword (optional), then hit enter or click the submit button. It returns the short URL, which is already selected so that you can copy it to your clipboard directly. You must be signed in to install this bookmarklet, but once it’s in your bookmarks bar you don’t need to be signed in to use it.
The third superfast piglet is for those who don’t want to choose a keyword, and want to click less. When you use it, a pop-up window opens with the short URL already created and ready to be copied and shared. As with the other two, it remembers the last domain name you chose. You need to be signed into your account to install it.
The reason why you need to be signed in to see and install the fast and superfast piglets is because they are set to use your account in the background. They are built using the qoiob API, and each user’s code is unique and personal. This way, your shortcuts are stored and linked to your account, even when you’re signed out.
Of course, all three contain direct links to Twitter, Buzz, and Facebook, for easy sharing with a single click.
You can install any or all three piglets in your browser, depending on how you plan to use them. To install a bookmarklet, all you need to do is to click and drag the link to your browser’s bookmarks bar. (More detailed instructions here)
Try them and let us know what you think. We hope you’ll love them as much as we do.
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Comments? Questions? Tell us what you think at twitter.com/qoiob_com
What is my API key? And how to use it?
On your account page, you’ll find a long string of characters called an “API key”. The acronym “API” stands for “Application Programming Interface”. An API is like a password for a program to access your account on your behalf.
Where is my API key?
To see your API key, you must first log in.
Once signed in, visit your account page (link is in the top-right corner of the window), where you will find the long chain of characters, which is your key.
What is it for?
Your API key allows programs and websites to interact with your qoiob account remotely, without visiting the website. The same way some applications let you access Twitter and Facebook through their API, for example.
How do I use it?
More and more applications are adding qoiob to their services. When one of them asks you for your email address and API key, you can set up their system to use doiop from it. Never share your actual account password.
But remember to only give your API key to well known services and trustable third parties.
How do I get one?
When you sign up for a qoiob account, you are automatically assigned your personal API key. It is then listed on your account page,
Can I share my API key?
No, it’s like a password to your account.
(Unlike your API key, your real account password should NEVER be shared with anyone.)
How to call my API key from an external service?
We tried to keep our API as simple as possible for users. For example, it’s very easy to set up Tweetdeck to automatically use qoiob as your default shortener. Every information needed is contained in one straight-forward URL.
Whenever a web service or app asks you for a “URL Shortening Endpoint”, you can simply enter the following string, after you replaced “xxx” by your qoiob login email address, “zzz” by your qoiob API key, and “yyy” by the “endpoint” given to you by that service to insert the long URL (for example, “%@” or “%URL%”). Variables are separated by ||
http://qoiob.com/api/shorten/?theKitchenSink=login::xxx||apiKey::zzz||format::txt||longUrl::yyy
or
http://cauzes.com/api/shorten/?theKitchenSink=login::xxx||apiKey::zzz||format::txt||longUrl::yyy
(Note: there should be no space after the ? or anywhere else in the string!)
The simple version above just returns text. Some services require other outputs, usually JSON or XML. If so, you can use the following endpoints:
http://qoiob.com/api/shorten/?theKitchenSink=login::xxx||apiKey::zzz||format::json||longUrl::yyy
http://qoiob.com/api/shorten/?theKitchenSink=login::xxx||apiKey::zzz||format::xml||longUrl::yyy
Can I choose which domain will be used when new shortcuts are created automatically from the API?
Yes, read this post for more details on how to set the endpoint link.
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Comments? Questions? Tell us what you think at twitter.com/qoiob_com
