gistfile1.js

// require the node.js system and filesystem modules
var sys = require('sys'),
    fs  = require('fs');

var Module = this.Module = function(data, connection){
  // connection is the instance of websocket::Connection
};

Module.prototype.onData = function(data, connection) {
    // client sends 'start' when the socket first connects
    if (data == 'start'){

        var monitor_file = function(filename) {
            var cmd = process.createChildProcess("tail", ["-f", filename]);
            cmd.addListener("output", function(data) {
                    // break up JSON objects and iterate over them
                    var lines = data.split("\r");
                    for (var entry in lines) {
                        try {
                            // turn the json into an object
                            var pdata = eval('(' + lines[entry] + ')');
                            // output to terminal
                            sys.puts(pdata['text']);
                            // send it over the socket
                            connection.send(pdata['user']['screen_name'] +': ' + pdata['text']);
                            sys.puts('');
                        } catch (err) {}
                    }
            });
        };

        monitor_file("/home/jgoulah/sample.json");
    }
};