Tweet processor, inserts link markup for users and hashtags

tweet.py

# Tweet processor, inserts link markup for users and hashtags
# I became frustrated with third party tools which do not link to users and hashtags, so i wrote this. 
# Public Domain - please use this, i am happy to rewrite it in any other language.
# Dylan Evans <dylan@contentfree.info>

import re

def html_hashtag(tag, html_class='hashtag'):
    "HTML hashtag - create a search link"
    return '<a class="%s" href="http://www.twitter.com/search/%s">%s</a>' \
        % (html_class, tag, tag)
    # Probably should encode the hashtag with urlib.qoute,
    # but it looks better like this

def html_user(user, html_class='twitterer'):
    "HTML user name - return a link to the specified user"
    return '<a class="%s" href="http://www.twitter.com/%s">%s</a>' \
        % (html_class, user, user)

def process(tweet, ht=html_hashtag, user=html_user):
    """Process a tweet into a marked up string.

    Markup is provided by the functions passed in the ht and user
    arguments, html defaults are provided.
    """
    s = tweet.split()
    s =  re.split('(\s*)', tweet)
    buf = ""
    for item in s:
        if item[0] == '#':
            buf += ht(item)
        elif item[0] == '@':
            buf += user(item)
        else:
            buf += item
    return buf

if __name__ == '__main__':
    print process("I  have a #hashtag for @you \n\t.")