WebMeem demonstration

Typically, this page wouldn't contain demonstration instructions, it would just have the WebMeems and a MeemServer install link.

Introduction

This demonstrates how a MeemServer could be deployed via a Web Server / Web Browser using Java Web Start. Once installed, this MeemServer can run independently of the Web Browser, but still in a completely secure sandbox. If you like your MeemServer and you trust it and would like it to manage things in your environment and talk to other MeemServers on the Internet, then you can gradually open up the security sandbox in a controlled fashion.

When you cruise around the Internet using your Web Browser, you might come across things that claim to be Meems, like this ...

This Meem represents the Geekscape organization and the services that Geekscape offers as Meems across the Internet. Some of these services may be free and some of them may be billable.

In the case of Geekscape, it has an on-line software development hosting service, which performs on-demand build and deployment of your software. Currently, the Geekscape Meems represent the state of the build system. The cool thing is that you can do one of two things ...

Click on the Geekscape Meem to find out more before you try ... which brought you to this page !
Drag the Geekscape Meem directly into your MeemServer and immediately connect it to some of your local Meems, that just happen to be X-10 controls for some Lava Lamps (of course :)

This enables a friction-less viral marketing scheme, because putting a WebMeem on your website only requires a fragment of HTML with an image and a link to the website hosting the actual Meems. For instance, Tara's website knows absolutely nothing about Meems or MeemServers or Java Web Start ... and yet, her website can happily proliferate images / links for the Service Provider (Geekscape) and the Technology (EdgeSystem, Meems) and the Technology Provider (Majitek).

But, first you need to install the PseudoMeemServer (I haven't done the real thing - but, it can be done) ...

Installing a MeemServer

This is as easy as clicking here ... Run EdgeSystem ... (sorry, this is just a pretend demonstration MeemServer)

You'll have to have Java installed first, but there are documented techniques for making that requirement unneccessary too.

This is a just a daggy PseudoMeemServer that acts as a "drop target" to show that it is possible to drag-and-drop directly from a web page into a running Java application that was really easy to install.

The real MeemServer would handle both unlicensed and licensed Meems, checking with the CloudSystem to see if you have an account for the purposes of charging. Maybe we'll just simplify the whole thing and use PayPal :)

Dragging a WebMeem into your MeemServer

Here we have a WebMeem (assuming that your Web Browser Java Plug-in is working correctly) ...

You should see a Java Applet JButton below ...

Your browser doesn't support Java applets

You should be able to drag this WebMeem into your MeemServer ... and simulate the joys of instant deployment across the Internet !

Since this WebMeem can potentially represent a remote Service, it makes the whole gluing together of real Web Services a quick and easy exercise.

Don't forget, once your MeemService is running, you can drag anything in your Web Browser that claims to be a WebMeem !

Try going back to the original web page where you first saw a Geekscape Meem and you should be able to drag that into your MeemServer.

Billing

Java Web Start can run Java applications, in this case, the MeemServer in an off-line manner. This is a good thing, because if/when your Internet connection goes down ... your local environment just keeps on running (and automatically reconnects when the Internet connection is good again).

A simple billing model for essential services that copes nicely with such outages would be a fixed-fee monthly up-front charge, e.g. $9.95 per month (or whatever depending on the service). This means that billable services would keep running for up to a month, if the network connection was lost. The billable Meems will just keep "topping up" the pre-paid time as required.

Other sorts of premium services might have different billing models, but would be of a nature that network outages would probably render the service useless, e.g. pay per view content delivered over the Internet.

Software updates

Java Web Start automatically checks for new versions of software on the remote server, downloads and installs seamlessly as required. This could be for both the MeemServers (from Majitek) and MeemKits (from anywhere).

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