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14 Jun 07 - 05:26 PM (#2077246) Subject: Tech: Podcasts, How To? From: Jim Lad I'm going to give it a go. Many of you will know by now that I'm pretty hopeless with this stuff. All advice is welcome. Just dumb it down for me though. Cheers! Jim |
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14 Jun 07 - 06:44 PM (#2077298) Subject: RE: Tech: Podcasts, How To? From: Geoff the Duck Jim - Web pages are written in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). Podcasts use a variant called XML (Extensible? Markup Language). A podcast is an MP3 file which can be automatically downloaded by a special programme designed to do so. The XML files used for podcasts give a Podcast Reading Programme the location of the MP3 file. With a series of podcasts e.g. a weekly radio programme, they add a bit of code for the new MP3 file each week. This means thet the list of instructions gets longer over a period of time. XML has a slightly different set of rules compared with HTML. It is not designed to make a page look fancy. You can view an XML page in a web browser, but it appears as a page of text. Usually the text would contain nested instructions with different lines inset so that the programmer writing the page can keep track of which instruction belongs where. Here is a link to an XML page from weird band They Might Be Giants who do a podcast approximately every month. http://www.tmbg.com/_media/_pod/podcast.xml I expect that is not a standard format as it appears to be designed for putting it through the Apple i-Tunes web site, but it gives an idea what one looks like. A lot of computer stuff follows standard formats. The easiest way to make a web page is copy the code from somebody else's page, then delete their content and substitute your own. Same goes for XML. Find one that works and then use the same format but with the web addresses for your own files. Quack! GtD. |
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14 Jun 07 - 07:32 PM (#2077335) Subject: RE: Tech: Podcasts, How To? From: Jim Lad Pretty complicated in places, Geoff but I think I get the drift. Tell me this though. Is there a way to use my existing page? |
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14 Jun 07 - 10:34 PM (#2077463) Subject: RE: Tech: Podcasts, How To? From: GUEST Jim me Lad - Yea there is - and what ye seek is found in the MC's BLUE CLICKY
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14 Jun 07 - 11:11 PM (#2077477) Subject: RE: Tech: Podcasts, How To? From: Jim Lad Gargroyl? Can this be Gargoyle? Thank You! That's the second time you've been really helpful and I haven't even been here a year! Cheers! Jim |
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15 Jun 07 - 01:29 AM (#2077516) Subject: RE: Tech: Podcasts, How To? From: Jim Lad Thank you both. I know what I'm going to do then. Rather than get lost in Podcast World, I'll put together a short programme to run on my page. I can then take advantage of the opportunity to welcome those who have dropped in for a visit, get out any other messages I want and play a little music. Ten or fifteen minutes should do the trick and it won't come on unless the guest invites it. My only real question concerning this would be "How long can it be without creating problems for the server or visitors? and Is there a file format that would be more user friendly than MP3? |
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15 Jun 07 - 07:04 AM (#2077650) Subject: RE: Tech: Podcasts, How To? From: Geoff the Duck MP3s are used for two reasons. One, the files are compact so are smaller than, for instance an MP3 is about a tenth of the size of a *.wav file playing the same recording. Secondly, they are fairly universally accessible without having to use a specialist programme. A lot of sites stream music using Real Audio, which is another small sized file, but that ties you into a very limited number of players which handle the file format. The bigger a file, the longeer it takes to download. Quack! GtD. |
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15 Jun 07 - 07:07 AM (#2077652) Subject: RE: Tech: Pod casts, How To? From: The Fooles Troupe There are many other file formats, some of which work on various 'players/. I think however that MP3 has become the defacto 'standard' for Pod casts, and that most 'players' handle MP3. Other formats may include various 'security' thingies. I'm sure others will come along with more lengthy posts... :-P |
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15 Jun 07 - 05:21 PM (#2078169) Subject: RE: Tech: Podcasts, How To? From: Geoff the Duck We used to have a lengthy post. It held the clothes line so we could hang out our washing. Quack! GtD. |
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15 Jun 07 - 08:15 PM (#2078306) Subject: RE: Tech: Podcasts, How To? From: Jim Lad Changed my mind again. I'll try my hand at podcasts. |
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15 Jun 07 - 08:52 PM (#2078330) Subject: RE: Tech: Podcasts, How To? From: Mick Pearce (MCP) Jim Lad - you might like to look at this simple tutorial: How To Create Your Own Podcast (I think you can deny the ActiveX controls without problems if you want) Mick |
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16 Jun 07 - 01:59 AM (#2078437) Subject: RE: Tech: Podcasts, How To? From: Jim Lad Thanks Mick: I read the first page and bookmarked it. That's exactly what I needed. Cheers! Jim |