Ewgie (pronounced yoo-GHEE, rhymes with "boogie") stands for "Easy Web Group Interaction Enabler". I tried to think of a better name, but it seems that all the good ones are taken already. :(
Ewgie is a small, simple collaboration service, very much like IRC (Internet Relay Chat). It's easy to learn for people new to it, and commands for IRC users have been provided so that net veterans should be pretty comfortable with it. Ewgie is unique from other similar chat services in that:
- It is written in Java.
Both the client and server are written in Java. Because the client can be used as an embedded applet on a Web page (or in a suitable Java environment), there is no need to compile or set it up or anything like that. Basically, installation of the latest version takes place when you need it - all you have to do is load a Web page! Isn't that beautiful?
- It is simple.
The philosophy behind Ewgie is "less is more". Setting up and running the server is very easy. And there really isn't as much code to it as you might think, thanks to the wonders of object-oriented programming.
- It takes advantage of the Web.
In Ewgie, people can see where others are browsing on the Web. You can choose to follow people - if the person you're following types a URL, you will be taken to whatever that address represents. Ewgie clients can be set up on different pages, each one devoted to a particular server or room within a server, and HTML transcripts with links can be generated.
- It's translatable and customizable.
The system's interface can be localized and translated to other Romance languages fairly easily, and non-US 8-bit characters can be typed within chat. Colors and layout can be easily customized to fit everyone from chat experts to novices.
- It's totally free.
The client and server are totally free for non-commercial use. Enough said - but note that there is no official support for Ewgie.
As of this writing, EwgieClient works well on:
- Netscape 3.0b6 or later on Windows, UNIX, and Macintosh platforms
- Windows Internet Explorer 3.0b2 (with Java extension) or later
- The Java Developer's Kit 1.02 or later on UNIX platforms
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