[9fans] AIM software

[Null <monkeybutler@sbcglobal.net>]

I'm reltatively new to plan 9, but I like what I've seen of it, and have set
up a small network at home.  I'd like to be able to use it as my main
working environment, but there are a few applications I need first so I
figured I'd write them.  One of these, silly as it is, is an AOL Instant
Messanger client because it's the easiest way to keep in touch with most of
my friends.  I've been looking at protocols etc and feel fairly confident
that I can write something that will comunicate with AOL's server properly,
but I have a few questions about plan 9 before I can set in to writing it...

I was thinking of implementing, rather than a standard graphical client, a
service, like webfs or ftpfs, perhaps called imfs or something, that allows
you to select an IM service, and log on, and the presents available buddies
and things like that as files that can then be written to/read from by any
client (and just hacking out a bare bones functional client that uses this
imfs for now).  My only question about this is how do file services work in
plan 9?  My research skills are failing me, can anyone point me to some
documentation on how to write the fs part of this?

Anarkakari
Anarkakari@abramelin.mine.nu