Splert

Splert is a software that transforms Pidgin, the popular instant messenger, into a customizable answering machine and more. It allows users to organize their contact list into groups based on email IDs, and set specific actions to occur when they receive messages from particular groups while they are away. For instance, users can leave a message for general friends saying, "Will talk to you later when I come back," or have Splert send their phone number to colleagues from the office with the message, "Call me at XXXXXX if urgent." If the boss contacts the user, they can direct the message to their Twitter account so they receive it as an SMS on their phone immediately.

To use Splert, users only need to unzip the attached package somewhere on their computer, install using the deb package or copy the Splert binary and config.txt to a folder of their choice, modify the config.txt file according to their needs, and run Splert. The software also offers available options that are listed when running Splert -h.

The config file included in the package fully explains the fields and formats needed for customization. A basic sample configuration might include grouping contacts into "Office," "Friends," and "VIP" categories, each with designated messages and actions. For example, the "Office" group would contain the email addresses of colleagues the user wants to message, as well as the message containing the phone number, and twitter set to 0. The "VIP" group would have the boss's email address, the message, "Got your message. Will Contact you asap," and Twitter set to 1, along with twitterto set to my2ndtwitteracct.

Overall, Splert is a simple, yet powerful tool that enables users to take control of their Instant Messenger when they are unavailable and customize their experiences to best suit their needs.