Week 11: Podcasting and Streaming Media

Podcasting! It seems like everyone is doing it. Libraries, radio stations, television shows, and the Whitehouse are using podcasts as a way to extend their message or brand to a larger audience. Not only can you listen to your favorite morning radio show from your computer, you can also subscribe to all the best bits using their podcast. Podcasting allows you to get President Obama’s weekly address delivered to you. You can hear it immediately, or when it’s convenient. In the past if you wanted to watch a video online or listen to a digital recording of a speech the onus would be on you to seek it out. Podcasting, or more specifically, RSS allows that content to be delivered to you. Before we get too far, let’s take a few minutes to understand the difference between downloadable and streaming media and their relationship with podcasting.

Streaming and downloading are two different methods of delivering audio or video content. To better understand this difference let’s use the example of a CNN’s Web site. When you visit CNN.com you can watch live news broadcasts. The content is delivered, or “streamed” from CNN’s servers to your computer. The broadcast is not saved to your computer; rather it is delivered to you only when you request it.

Downloading installs the audio or video content onto your computer. Unlike CNN’ streaming news broadcast, audio or video that is downloaded can be accessed at anytime and does not require you to be connected to the Internet. The file is saved on your computer's hard drive and it can be retrieved in the same way you would a Word document or digital photograph.

Podcasting distinguishes itself from the above formats by the ability to syndicate and subscribe to the content. If this sounds familiar then you were paying attention during Week 3 when we discussed RSS. In some cases the same newsreader that you use to read blogs can be used to subscribe to podcasts or vodcasts (video podcasts). You can listen to (or view) the podcast when it arrives, or you can download it to your computer or a portable device.

To learn more about podcasts, check out this video from the good folks at Common Craft.



This week we're asking you to locate a podcast and subscribe to it (Thing #20). A list of suggestions are available on the Wiki page for Week 11 or you can search for one on your own. You can use subscribe to the podcast using Google Reader or any other RSS reader that supports podcasts. You can also use one of the "podcatchers" mentioned in the above video. A directory of Windows and Macintosh podcast software can be found here. (Some of these podcatchers require you to download free software. In the event that it doesn't work, check with the eiNetwork Help Desk to get administrative rights for your machine.) To document your experience, include a comment below or a link to a blog post that describes your results. As always, include your name and your library. Good luck!

Week 3: RSS and Social Bookmarking

Congratulations, bloggers - now that you've got your personal blogs up and running, it's time to learn about RSS and social bookmarking, two tools that help keep web information organized and readily available. Yes, that's two Things in one week, but we know you can do it - we've also scheduled a catch-up week later in the course, so that you have an extra buffer zone while you work at your own pace.

Your next tasks, should you choose to accept them, are to read the information below on RSS and social bookmarking, and participate in the discovery exercises therein.

Part I: RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

RSS is a digital tool that brings news to you so that you don't have to visit countless websites individually. Click here for a slideshow tutorial on just how the magic works; those of you who are visual learners may prefer the following video:





Ready to find out what your fellow explorers are blogging about? Choose a newsreader, sign up for an account, and subscribe to at least one feed (thing #3). Feel free to subscribe to your fellow adventurers' blogs whose links are found here - other suggestions, both work-related and not-so-much, are also available through the Week 2 wiki page.



Part II: Social Bookmarking


Social bookmarking is the fancy name for using web-based tools to organize your links and info. It's not unlike bookmarking links on your computer, but with the added bonus of being able to access those links again from any computer with internet access. So if you've moved your feet and lost your seat, you won't have to redo your searches, or wrack your brain trying to remember whether the address of that really cool site you found had an underscore or a tilde in the URL.

Roll that beautiful social footage, there, CommonCraft...

Now that you're in the know, it's time to sign up for a del.icio.us account and add a few links (thing #4). If you're feeling adventurous, you might want to explore tagging and/or adding other users to your network. - see the support materials on the Week 3 wiki page for more details.

Remember to leave a comment on this entry (week #3) so that you can get credit for completing the assignment. In your comment you should briefly discuss your experiences signing up for a newsreader, and share your del.icio.us username.

As ever, let us know what questions you have, and how we can help.