whimsy also whimsey (hwmz)
1. An odd or fanciful idea; a whim.
2. A quaint or fanciful quality.
[Probably from whim-wham, fanciful object.]
The Whimsy Project is based on the odd, fanciful idea of a "multimobile service," as defined in The Revolution No One Noticed. The aspiration of the Project is to legitimize this whimsy.
Multimobile services are services you can use on your mobile phone. You can use these services in multiple ways – by interacting with a speech server, sending and receiving text messages, sending and receiving instant messages, etc. – hence “multimobile.”
The Whimsy Project's working hypothesis is that when
certain conditions are met, a collection of multimobile services can
have a positive impact on the educational environment of a college or
university. The conditions that must be met are enumerated in the
Project's Rationale.
- Whimsy, a multimobile application server;
- Conjury, a web application that enables non-technical users to create notification and on demand services, and to collaborate with developers in creating custom services;
- Alchemy, a software development kit that enables developers to create custom multimobile services;
- Reverie, a customizable web site that allows students and other users to register, learn about the services offered by a host institution, manage their profiles and subscriptions, and get help when they need it;
- Sorcery, a collection of tools for administering a Whimsy installation; and
- Mystery, a set of tools for providing user support.