If you are ever interested in writing any "blog" articles here on Jamroom.net, drop me an email. I think it would be really cool to get some more subject-matter-experts on areas related to Jamroom to post blog entries.
Brian,
I'm sure you know I would love to write something for the blog when I have time, which is a long way off. I'm still way behind from not being up to snuff for months, which is why I haven't really been posting much. Still lurking about whenever I have a few minutes. And sometimes when I don't!
I would hardly call myself a subject-matter-expert, though! But, in terms of the basics of podcasting from about any angle, I do tend to keep up with the issues and technology, and I could probably write (somewhat opinionated) volumes on it at this point
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
Posts: 22009
Location: Southern California
Posted: 08/05/07 01:09
jp:
SixString asked if I would be able to help out with something automated to deliver streams or downloads that would work in a feed reader, and I think it might be doable (but not as a podcast because there would be no way to track downloads if you are bypassing the Jamroom stats...and also, that pesky thing I have about the definition of a podcast). I've tried this before and couldn't do it quickly, so I do have it on the back burner for when I have the time for it...which could be quite a while, actually.
If I can figure a way around the time stamping problem so that it can be delivered to a feed reader correctly, I will certainly share what I've come up with the community. My thought is that a New Songs feed is the most likely candidate because items would appear as new when a new song is posted. The SONG_DATE variable could be used for the time stamp, but I don't think any of the available variables for song creation date are in the correct format for RSS. That's where I got stuck last time.
Kyle, thank you for asking about the podcasts. If you do want to take a listen, you can find the descriptions, playlist and RSS feed/iTunes links at:
Please ignore the butt ugly site which looks especially horrific in anything but IE, because I've got a problem with the background that I have never been able to work out in compliant browsers. I can make things function, but I am so far from being a graphic designer that I really should just pack it in! That's what I'm fighting with right now in my new site design, which is where I am putting every moment of my free time and STILL will never done. Yike!
Jill
Just downloaded and listened to it as I was answering posts I missed while out today! Sounded great, and you've got some great artists! Keep it up!
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
Posts: 22009
Location: Southern California
Posted: 08/05/07 01:25
jp:
If I can figure a way around the time stamping problem so that it can be delivered to a feed reader correctly, I will certainly share what I've come up with the community. My thought is that a New Songs feed is the most likely candidate because items would appear as new when a new song is posted. The SONG_DATE variable could be used for the time stamp, but I don't think any of the available variables for song creation date are in the correct format for RSS. That's where I got stuck last time.
I looked at that, because I always cruise Brian's code to get an idea of what is going on and I tired the formatting of the available song date variables using the same formatting Brian uses for smarty.now, but the problem is that there doesn't seem to be a variable to pass the unformatted system time stamp for the song creation date - all of the listed available variables for the song date already have formatting (which makes sense, because they are designed to be passed into a song template for display).
I didn't actually try it to see if using just $SONG_DATE will pull the unformatted time stamp. So...something to keep in mind when I get round to this!
Thanks, Kyle! (BTW, thanks for the nice words about the podcast. We get a kick out of doing them and as far as we can tell, the artists have benefitted from them to some extent, so that's the whole point! It also helps that they get broadcast airplay, and for some of the artists, that is their first appearance on broadcast radio, which is a real kick for everyone involved.)
Jill
Last edited by jp on 08/05/07 10:51; edited 1 time in total
Woohoo! Thank you, SteveX! I think that's the last bit I need to do this thing (once again, not immediately, though, but hopefully by mid-September when I have some time off work, unless someone else jumps on it first).
Although the conversion back doesn't have a time included, which is needed for RSS, it is an easy step to just hard-code a time after the date and have all the times at a minute past midnight or something. That will nicely prevent the problem of viewed items being marked as new.
Thanks to all of you very smart fellas for helping out. We'll see how it goes so that I can get something out here for everyone.
If I get time before you I'll see if I can come up with something too, maybe we can collaborate on it and get something up before Sep.
_________________
That sounds good to me. I am like a dog with a bone anyway, once someone suggests a problem that needs to be solved, so I am actually looking at this a bit tonight, with the whole hour I have to myself.
I think your idea of setting the feed list using a radio station is the best bet, actually. A new songs feed can potentially end up being all songs by one or two new artists (and not necessarily a best representation of the site for various reasons). Using any of the automated ranking systems would end up with the problem of songs popping on and off, which doesn't work for a feed.
SixString, the ball is now in your court! I kept the majority of your code but edited as needed to allow songs to stream correctly from a feed.
This does not include the correct time stamp for the items (which I previously noted is critical), because frankly, I keep looking at that smarty time-stamping thing and going "huh?". Anyway, if you are not now and have never been blonde, I am sure you can work that one out!
What it will do is provide a link for streaming, and correctly encode those pesky ampersands that will break a feed, etc.
Anyone who wants to you use it will need to replace the email address OR the <webMaster>you@yoursite.com</webMaster> element can be removed altogether because it is an optional element. Plus, like I said, I don't recommend using it until it has correct item time-stamping.
The first one is abbreviated timezone, the second is GWT difference.
I think the problem is the $smarty.now variable, when ever someone clicks the podcast link, it will refresh with a new date making it seem as if it was just published and thats what we are trying to get away from.
