Friday, April 13, 2007

RSS 2.0 New RSS 2.0 spec site deployed. As I reported here and here, I've been slowly working on a project to "future-safe" the Harvard site that houses the RSS 2.0 spec. Yesterday, we started redirecting from the old site to the new one. If you're pointing to the RSS 2.0 spec, you may want to point to its new location. I found this project interesting, because I want to learn how to create a website that lives for decades, if not longer. Here are some of the techniques I employed: 1. Everything is static. It can all be seved by a standard install of Apache, with no plug-ins or special software required. 2. It's self-contained. Every resource it uses is stored within the site's folder. That includes images, screen shots, example files, downloads. 3. Almost all the links are relative. As far as I know only one type of link is not, links to the blue arrow that marks an internal document link. If for some reason at some time in the future, cyber.law.harvard.edu should go offline, and the site has been moved to a new location, the blue arrows will appear as broken images. I may yet fix this one. I don't think there are any other hard-coded links in the site. The goal was to make it so that a future webmaster, wanting to relocate the site, would just have to move the folder, add some redirects, and everything would work, more or less. You can also download the whole site, from a link on the site's About page. You're free to mirror it if you like. And as always it's licensed under the Creative Commons, giving everyone the ability to create new things from it. (I also included the Frontier CMS tables the site was generated from, and the Manila site, in the Downloads folder.) There was one example where I thought for a second about changing the spec, but I didn't; the element, which we say should point to the spec. It's an optional channel-level element. The example we provide is the previous location. I thought this was a good place for me to express the commitment to the spec being totally frozen, so I left it as it was. To change that value would have broken nothing but a promise, but promises are everything when it comes to specs that industries are built on, and the RSS 2.0 spec surely has become a foundation that many build on. Of course if you spot any breakage, please let me know asap. Post a comment here, or send me a private email. [Scripting News] 6:20:01 PM

Via paidContent.org Broadband Content Bits: Hearst; RDF; WaPo; MySpace; Meredith -- Hearst is going ìgreenî for a new standalone website. TheDailyGreen.com is the latest in a string of content initiatives that taps into environmental issues. The site is set to go live in beta form on Apr. 22, Earth Day. The venture is Hearst Magazines Digital Media groupís first standalone web launch. The site is being designed as both a service outlet for those who are interested in living a more eco-friendly lifestyle, as well as a social net component. To promote the new site, Hearst will feature select DailyGreen editorial in House Beautiful each month as well as on other Hearst sites. It will also work with MySpace and Facebook for its online community aspects. -- Reality show producer RDF is launching a digital division to develop spin-off businesses from its network series as well as produce original content for web portals. While similar to Mark Burnett Productionsí original series Gold Rush for AOL, RDF is going a step further, actually seeking to make money from the new-media platforms directly. Though itís not giving up on arrangements with TV networks entirely. Among the digital initiatives growing out of RDFís network series are a subscription diet site for an upcoming Shaquille OíNeal weight-loss reality show on ABC. -- The Washington Post will provide Hi-Def video podcasts for iTunes. The content consists of documentary pieces that have been shot with high-definition cameras. The first documentaries being made available are Being a Black Man, a series by videojournalist Ben De La Cruz and a one on Darfur refugees by Travis Fox. -- MySpace Trailer Park, a new dedicated channel within the News Corp. devoted to debuting new theatrical movie previews, has just been launched. Lionsgate is the channelís first partner. The studio is promoting the forthcoming comedy Good Luck Chuck on the site. Other content will premiere on Trailer Park three- to six months prior to a filmís theatrical release and a few months prior to the movieís MySpace profile launch. -- Meredith Corp. has a new broadband video portal, Better.tv. The portal features 20 channels covering female-focused lifestyle topics like food, style, relationships, fitness and health. Most of the siteís clips, which will be updated regularly, run from two- to 30 minutes in length. The content is drawn upon the assets of the companyís wide roster of magazines, local TV stations, websites and other properties. To build traffic, Meredith says it plans to promote the new site extensively on the soon to relaunch Better Homes & Gardens site, BHG.com. This BCB is sponsored by thePlatform. - David Kaplan (david(at)paidcontent.org) [paidContent.org] 6:01:51 PM