DutchPIPE - Avatar worlds on websites
With DutchPIPE open source software, web developers can make virtual multi-user environments. Each web page becomes an abstracted environment or location where visitors and other items on the page are visualized. This status is retained as visitors move around. A lot of real-time interaction is possible. The result: Persistent Interactive Page Environments. DutchPIPE uses AJAX and the DOM for the browser - it works without Java, Flash, plugin or firewall adjustments. On the server, PHP 5 is used. With DutchPIPE, developers program "world" objects in PHP. This gives a lot of power, and is also a lot of fun! The site becomes an abstracted world or universe populated with objects which can be moved into or out of eachother and perform certain actions. There's only one world with one set of objects - if you drop something on a page, someone else can visit that page, see the object, and carry it away elsewhere.