Web Crossing Adds Podcasting Support

Podcasting from Web Crossing Boards or Blogs

Podcasting is a new audio file distribution technique for time-shifting audio broadcasts to a self-selecting audience who chooses when to listen to it on their iPod or other MP3-compatible listening device. Often posted as part of a blog, podcasting provides a convenient means for individuals to publish audio files online. Already popular with individual bloggers and content publishers, work-related applications of podcasting include reports, tutorials and other educational aids.

Podcasting utilizes a combination of audio file (MP3 or other format) and XML to publish descriptive data and metadata associated with the audio file. The XML files used in podcasting from Web Crossing sites are compatible with RSS 2.0 and can include dates, titles, descriptions and links to the audio files themselves. Web Crossing's RSS feeds now use Unicode Transformation Format (UTF) encoding to prevent any non-ASCII characters in a file from creating XML parsing errors of the feed.

The Podcast capabilities are incorporated in the latest Web Crossing Weblog and RSS plug-ins. The Weblog and RSS plugins require no knowledge of XML, allowing administrators to add Podcasting support in minutes with a simple point-and-click.

The Web Crossing RSS plug-in gives a site's visitors current access to podcasts, using any modern RSS Reader. In addition, the Web Crossing Weblog plug-in makes podcasting audio files as easy as attaching an MP3 file to any Weblog entry.

In Weblogs, RSS subscription designations automatically apply to categories assigned by the blogger and chosen by the reader. Alternatively, the new RSS support provides podcasting in addition to the RSS plug-in's traditional integration with weblog categories, weblog comments, topic folders, and individual discussions.

Additional information can be found at http://www.webcrossing.com/podblog/ and http://www.webcrossing.com/podrss/.