RSS Newsfeeds and Podcasting University of Manchester WebCT User Group 22 nd November 2005 Adrian Stevenson Learning Technology Services Some slides in this presentation are based on original presentations produced by the JISC-funded QA Focus project provided by UKOLN and AHDS

University of Manchester WebCT User Group

22 nd November 2005

Adrian Stevenson

Learning Technology Services

Some slides in this presentation are based on original presentations produced by the JISC-funded QA Focus project provided by UKOLN and AHDS

RSS What is RSS? “ RSS is a format for syndicating news and the content of news-like sites, including major news sites like Wired, news-oriented community sites like Slashdot, and personal weblogs” – from xml.com What does RSS stand for? Several different views: Netscape called it Rich Site Summary (v 0.92) W3C felt it should be based on RDF/XML to provide extensibility and called it RDF Site Summary (v 1.0) Dave Winer (& others) valued its simplicity and developed an alternative called Really Simple Syndication (v 2.0)

What is RSS?

“ RSS is a format for syndicating news and the content of news-like sites, including major news sites like Wired, news-oriented community sites like Slashdot, and personal weblogs” – from xml.com

What does RSS stand for?

Several different views:

Netscape called it Rich Site Summary (v 0.92)

W3C felt it should be based on RDF/XML to provide extensibility and called it RDF Site Summary (v 1.0)

Dave Winer (& others) valued its simplicity and developed an alternative called Really Simple Syndication (v 2.0)

Some background Initial attempts at news ‘solutions’ included: Scrolling ticker tape – BBC News Subscriptions to email alerts But .. Content usually only from one source Accessibility problems Often proprietary solution An open standards solution with widely available authoring tools and viewers was needed.

Initial attempts at news ‘solutions’ included:

Scrolling ticker tape – BBC News

Subscriptions to email alerts

But ..

Content usually only from one source

Accessibility problems

Often proprietary solution

An open standards solution with widely available authoring tools and viewers was needed.

RSS - History Initially developed for My.Netscape portal The potential for this adaptable solution was quickly recognised and widely taken up Now there are many RSS readers and authoring tools available

Initially developed for My.Netscape portal

The potential for this adaptable solution was quickly recognised and widely taken up

Now there are many RSS readers and authoring tools available

RSS Viewers Ways of accessing RSS feeds: Blog – eg. bloglines Web pages Bookmark interfaces –Mozilla Firefox ‘live’ bookmarks Tickertape Email alerts Email clients - Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird

Ways of accessing RSS feeds:

Blog – eg. bloglines

Web pages

Bookmark interfaces –Mozilla Firefox ‘live’ bookmarks

Tickertape

Email alerts

Email clients - Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird

RSS File Format RSS is a light xml based format RSS News Items <item> <title>Primary reading set for overhaul</title> <description>The way children are taught to read in primary schools in England will be shaken up, the government confirms.</description> <link>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/4485062.stm</link> <pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2005 09:46:17 GMT</pubDate> </item> Channels <rss version=&quot;2.0&quot;> <channel> <title>BBC News | News Front Page | UK Edition</title> <link>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/default.stm</link> <description>Updated every minute of every day</description> <language>en-gb</language>

RSS is a light xml based format

RSS Authoring Tools Creating RSS feeds: Hand coding Client authoring tools Web-based tools http://rssxpress.ukoln.ac.uk / Blogs Transformation by an application or a web server program that converts to HTML to RSS

Creating RSS feeds:

Hand coding

Client authoring tools

Web-based tools

http://rssxpress.ukoln.ac.uk /

Blogs

Transformation by an application or a web server program that converts to HTML to RSS

Publishing an RSS Feed Upload the RSS file to a web server at a ‘persistent’ location e.g. http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/webmaster-2005/news.xml Use the <link> tag in your news page so RSS tools like FireFox live bookmarks can be used <link href=&quot;http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/webmaster-2005/news.xml&quot; rel=&quot;alternate&quot; type=&quot;application/rss+xml&quot; title=&quot;IWMW 2005 News&quot; /> Validate the news feed - http://feedvalidator.org/ Add to WebCT – Laura Shaw will demonstrate how to add a news feed to WebCT

Upload the RSS file to a web server at a ‘persistent’ location e.g. http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/webmaster-2005/news.xml

Use the <link> tag in your news page so RSS tools like FireFox live bookmarks can be used

<link href=&quot;http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/webmaster-2005/news.xml&quot; rel=&quot;alternate&quot; type=&quot;application/rss+xml&quot; title=&quot;IWMW 2005 News&quot; />

Validate the news feed - http://feedvalidator.org/

Add to WebCT – Laura Shaw will demonstrate how to add a news feed to WebCT

Podcasting - What is it? Podcasting is a very popular subject in the press – over hyped? Some say it’s transforming society and freeing the airwaves Podcasting does allow you to set up a radio station and ‘broadcast’ on the web easily and cheaply RSS and Podcasting: Podcasting is an application of RSS 2.0: It is simply the syndication of audio, typically mp3 files, instead of text (RSS news feeds) You can schedule the download of the mp3 files and listen to them offline e.g. on a portable mp3 player such as an Apple iPod Very easy for the end user and relatively easy for the publisher It can be difficult to do well –it helps to have some sound recording skills Many Podcast directories http://www.podcastalley.com/ , BBC

Podcasting is a very popular subject in the press – over hyped?

Some say it’s transforming society and freeing the airwaves

Podcasting does allow you to set up a radio station and ‘broadcast’ on the web easily and cheaply

RSS and Podcasting:

Podcasting is an application of RSS 2.0:

It is simply the syndication of audio, typically mp3 files, instead of text (RSS news feeds)

You can schedule the download of the mp3 files and listen to them offline e.g. on a portable mp3 player such as an Apple iPod

Very easy for the end user and relatively easy for the publisher

It can be difficult to do well –it helps to have some sound recording skills

Many Podcast directories http://www.podcastalley.com/ , BBC

Podcasting and [e-]Learning The University of Bath provides a highly-regarded e-learning Blog, Auricle http://www.bath.ac.uk/dacs/cdntl/pMachine/morriblog.php Auricle has now added some Podcasts: Skype interviews However, Podcasting still fairly new to HE sector

The University of Bath provides a highly-regarded e-learning Blog, Auricle

http://www.bath.ac.uk/dacs/cdntl/pMachine/morriblog.php

Auricle has now added some Podcasts:

Skype interviews

However, Podcasting still fairly new to HE sector

Institutional Web Management Workshop Podcasting at Institutional Web Management Workshop, Manchester, 6-8 July: Brief Podcasts released prior to event One keynote talks now podcasted

Podcasting at Institutional Web Management Workshop, Manchester, 6-8 July:

Brief Podcasts released prior to event

One keynote talks now podcasted

Accessing a Podcast To access a Podcast: Install Podcast software e.g. iTunes, Juice, Jager, Blogmatrix, … Add the URL of RSS file to the podcast software IWMW 2005 BBC Film reviews Various configuration options are usually available Scheduling for downloads The download location of mp3 file Transfer files to portable mp3 player such as an iPod (using e.g. iTunes, Winamp)

To access a Podcast:

Install Podcast software e.g. iTunes, Juice, Jager, Blogmatrix, …

Add the URL of RSS file to the podcast software

IWMW 2005

BBC Film reviews

Various configuration options are usually available

Scheduling for downloads

The download location of mp3 file

Transfer files to portable mp3 player such as an iPod (using e.g. iTunes, Winamp)

Creating a Podcast Make the recording: Install audio recording software e.g. Audacity open source software or use Windows Sound Recorder Best to use good quality microphone and a PC Recording usually made in a ‘native’ file format such as ‘wav’ and then converted to mp3 file Upload the recording to a web server Create an RSS file for the recording

Make the recording:

Install audio recording software e.g. Audacity open source software or use Windows Sound Recorder

Best to use good quality microphone and a PC

Recording usually made in a ‘native’ file format such as ‘wav’ and then converted to mp3 file

Upload the recording to a web server

Create an RSS file for the recording

Creating a Podcast (2) Early adopters approach – copy & edit an existing RSS file <item> <title>Podcast 1 For IWMW 2005</title> <link>http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/…podcasts/podcast-iwmw-2005-01.mp3</link> <guid>http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/…/ podcasts/#podcast-01</guid> <description>This introductory Podcast describes what a Podcast is and …. ( 2.5 minute long MP3 recording, ~1.6 MB).</description> <enclosure url=&quot;http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/ …/podcasts/podcast-iwmw-2005-01.mp3&quot; length=&quot;1575770&quot; type=&quot;audio/mpeg&quot;/> <pubDate>Sun, 12 Jun 2005 ...</pubDate> </item> <channel> <title>IWMW 2005 Podcasts</title> <link>http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/podcasts/podcasts.xml </link> <description>Podcasts About IWMW 2005</description> <language>en-gb</language> <copyright>Creative Commons - Attribution and Share-alike</copyright> <pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2005 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate>

Early adopters approach – copy & edit an existing RSS file

Usage Scenarios Podcasting is not a replacement for the ‘real thing’ – the live lecture theatre experience But it means you can … access lectures, conference presentations etc. after the event Provide some support in case of problems (e.g. couldn't attend talk), conflicts (parallel sessions), … Provide a 'taster', helps in marketing, addresses additional areas (e.g. social activities), … Keeping informed of developments elsewhere

Podcasting is not a replacement for the ‘real thing’ – the live lecture theatre experience

But it means you can …

access lectures, conference presentations etc. after the event

Provide some support in case of problems (e.g. couldn't attend talk), conflicts (parallel sessions), …

Provide a 'taster', helps in marketing, addresses additional areas (e.g. social activities), …

Keeping informed of developments elsewhere

Questions?