TextRoom: The text message chat room

[wynalazca]

Hello everyone,

I'm in the process of creating an app called TextRoom. The idea behind it is to create a temporary texting chat room. Basically all it does is the person with the app (host) starts a TextRoom by adding a group of contacts and then sending them all a message. When someone replies to that initial text, the app automatically formats the incoming text and forwards it to everyone else in the group.

Currently the app is fully functional, but the only 'special feature' it has is the ability for someone to remove themselves from the TextRoom by responding 'STOP'.
The host can also close the TextRoom and it will send out a notification to everyone in the group that it was closed.

Short term future ideas:
-Since every text coming in from someone in the group gets forwarded, there needs to be a way for a message to be sent to the host that isn't forwarded to everyone else. I'm thinking by adding '#' to the start of the text
-The ability for someone in the TextRoom to see who all is in the group by texting 'GROUP' or 'USERS' (haven't decided which yet)
-The ability to recommend to the host adding a person to the group by texting 'ADD' and then the phone number followed by that contact's name
-Notifying all the group members of someone leaving the TextRoom as well as when a new member is added

Long term future ideas:
-Automatically creating a new textmessage thread in the native texting app for the host and then automatically removing incoming texts from those contacts threads so the conversation is located all in one thread. The host would then send out their messages from the text message thread instead of the app. To close the TextRoom the host would then text 'END' to the thread. This would also lead to the ability for the host to remove themselves from the TextRoom while the app is still running on their phone, which seems like a rather intriguing idea.

I'm currently using App Inventor to write this since I'm not a huge programmer, but I plan on rewriting it in java when I get closer to releasing the final product. If anyone is interested in testing out what I have so far, send me a PM with your email and I can send you the apk. I'm only gonna send it out to the first 5 responses since it's still in the proof of concept stage and I would like to test it on a few different devices if possible. I'm also at work so I won't be able to send these out until later tonight, probably 10pm EST, so don't think i'm ignoring you.

If anyone has any other ideas for this app please post them.

[The Droid Lion]

I was literally thinking of something like this earlier today!!! LoL I am excited.

[want a droid]

Quite the idea. I personally would have kept it all to myself. With all the developers out there someone is going to snatch up your idea.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk

[dragonfly1113]

neat idea, will it be able to be used by all platforms? or just android? all platforms would be cool since not everyone i know has an android YET

[mryanaz]

Yes, there is a solution: Smashtalk (www.smashtalk.net) Smashtalk has been designed to allow any handset to be a part of a group chat session. All that is needed is for the handset vendor community to embrace the technology.

Smashtalk's patent-pending method of enabling group-text chat is fully backwards compatible with existing devices. It can be easily embedded into any operating system.

Call or write your handset vendor and ask them when they plan to let you do what text messaging was always intended to do; Smashtalk.