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- What is a podcast?
- What is an RSS feed?
- How do I subscribe to an RSS feed of Podium?
- Will I be able to cancel a Podium RSS feed?
- What are Podium email alerts?
- What is the difference between an RSS feed and an email alert?
- If I were to subscribe to the Podium email alerts, would Gettysburg use my personal identifiable information for any other purpose?
What is a podcast?
Podcasting's essence is about creating content (audio or video) for an audience that wants to listen when they want, where they want, and how they want.
The word podcasting is often attributed to MTV VJ Adam Curry who, in 2004, coined the word from "broadcasting" and Apple's iPod. It represent the distribution of non-music content such as spoken-word audio or video files over the Internet for listening and viewing on personal computers or on mobile devices, including the iPod, MP3 players, PDAs and cell phones.
Usually, the podcast site features several "channels" with new presentations posted either sporadically or at planned intervals such as daily, weekly, etc. For example, Podium's channels include News, Events, and Gettysburg Authors; new feature presentations are posted about once a month.
Podium offers several options for receiving information, including watching video and listening to audio on your computer; subscribing to an RSS feed that could go to your computer, PDA, or cell phone; and watching on or downloading video and audio files from Apple's iTunes.
The substance of this answer was taken from "the free encyclopedia," Wikipedia.com under "Podcasting," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting (accessed March 29, 2006).
What is an RSS feed?
Gettysburg offers an RSS ("Really Simple Syndication") feed from Podium as an easy way for you to keep up to date with its postings. News sites, blogs, and podcasting sites such as Podium use RSS to simultaneously disseminate Web-based content or summaries of Web content to subscribers to this service. RSS feeds may also be read on some PDAs and cell phones.
Podium's RSS feed uses an XML code that scans Podium's content for new postings and, when there something new, the feed then broadcasts those updates to all subscribers in the form of an email that contains an annotated headline and a link to the Podium site.
How do I subscribe to an RSS feed of Podium?
In order to receive RSS feeds on your computer, you need a feed reader called an aggregator. There are a number of free aggregators online. With a little bit of searching, you should be able to find one that has an interface that appeals to you and works well with your type of computer.
The RSS button on the Podium site adds that feed to your aggregator instantly. Depending on what aggregator you have, you may instead need to copy and paste the URL of the feed into the program; follow its instructions.
RSS feeds may also be read on some PDAs and cell phones. Typically, it easy to set these RSS-compatible devices up to receive feeds. Simply follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Will I be able to cancel a Podium RSS feed?
Yes. If you ever decide that you don't want to receive Podium updates anymore, you simply delete the feed or URL from your aggregator on one or all of the devices that are setup to receive them.
What are Podium email alerts?
Gettysburg sends emails to those who want to know when new Podium podcasts have been posted to the site. Subscribing to the email alerts means that you are added to the list serv program. Subscribers should expect to receive approximately one email per month during the nine-month academic year.
What is the difference between an RSS feed and an email alert?
Timing, mostly. RSS feeds are instantaneous, because they are initiated by XML code that identifies new postings immediately. An email alert to Podium is distributed through a list serv process that may take 24 hours from the time something new is posted.
If I were to subscribe to the Podium email alerts, would Gettysburg use my email information for any other purpose?
No. Gettysburg respects your privacy, and has a very high standard for protecting it. For more information on the College's privacy policy, please go to Privacy Policy. The College will track usage of the site, but the usage data are aggregated for analysis and therefore rendered anonymous.
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