This Python program notifies you when a locked Kickstarter pledge level becomes available. When the pledge is available, the program opens a web browser window to the pledge, allowing you to enter the pledge amount and select the new pledge.
kswatch.py must be run from the command line. Since this is a Python program, you must have Python installed.
Usage: kswatch.py project-url [cost-of-pledge]
Where project-url is the URL of the Kickstarter project, and cost-of-pledge is the cost of the target pledge. If cost-of-pledge is not specified, then a menu of pledges is shown. Specify cost-of-pledge only if that amount is unique among pledges. Only restricted pledges are supported.
Example:
$ ./kswatch.py https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1300298569/under-the-dog
- $20 RECRUIT ============================== [Early Backer $25] HD Digital D
- $30 SENIOR ATTENDANT ============================== [Early Backer $35] Dig
- $40 SENIOR ANALYST ============================== [Early Backer $45] Digit
- $50 SENIOR OPERATIVE ============================== [Early Backer $55] Dig
Select pledge levels:
I believe that this script does not violate the Kickstarter terms of service (TOS):
Additionally, you shall not: (i) take any action that imposes or may impose (as determined by the Company in its sole discretion) an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on the Company's or its third-party providers' infrastructure; (ii) interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Service or any activities conducted on the Service; (iii) bypass any measures the Company may use to prevent or restrict access to the Service (or other accounts, computer systems, or networks connected to the Service); (iv) run Maillist, Listserv, or any form of auto-responder or "spam" on the Service; or (v) use manual or automated software, devices, or other processes to "crawl" or "spider" any page of the Site.
As long as this script is run no more frequently than once a minute, it will not "impose ... an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on the Company's or its third-party providers' infrastructure". Secondly, this tool does not "crawl" or "spider" the Kickstarter web site or any page. Wikipedia defines crawling as "an Internet bot that systematically browses the World Wide Web, typically for the purpose of Web indexing." The script does not index any pages, it just scrapes a single page.