Grammar Captive

There is one more major hurdle to overcome before podcasting can begin:  the integration of a template system that is not of the email-newsletter variety.

With each call made from a different podcast different information must be retrieved and entered into the same template page.  Further, this page must automatically load with the podcast main page.

The podcast main page and  mechanism for retrieving the correct data and delivering it to the main and template pages are now ready for upload, what is left is the matter of creating the template page, getting the main and template pages to work together, and then integrating the newsletter and podcasts.

Roddy

As always, my best wishes to my Saudi friends during the annual Haj celebration.  Drive safely and have a tea and date or two on me!

Roddy

After a full week’s worth of study into the uses, pitfalls, and functionality of PHP cookies and sessions, as well as several important distractions unrelated to Grammar Captive, construction on the podcast host page has started moving forward again.

The goal is to create a direct link between the Grammar Captive podcast host page and the many podcast host pages where users typically go to obtain podcasts.  Although the task may appear simple enough, it is rather involved for several reasons.

When a user discovers a podcast that he likes on a third-party website he should be able to find the same podcast on the Grammar Captive website without having to search for it.  Once on the Grammar Captive website the user should be able to find, not only more information about the same podcast, but direct links to other podcasts that are closely related.  Further, all of the other podcasts must be well organized and within one to three clicks away.  Finally, all of  this information must appear in the same window on the same page and take only a minimum of scrolling to find.

Technically speaking, the task is quite involved, but well within reach.

Roddy

During a solar eclipse the sun (solar) is eclipsed by the moon (lunar). In other words, the moon eclipses the sun.

Three forms and three uses of the same word.

1) NOUN (eclipse)
In the phrase “solar eclipse” it is the name (noun) of an activity that can occur at any time. In this case it is the activity of obscuring or hiding from view.

2) VERB (eclipse)

a) ACTIVE VOICE (The 3rd person singular form of the verb “eclipse” used in the present tense):

In the clause “the moon eclipses the sun” the word eclipse tells what the moon does at the time that it happens.

b) PASSIVE VOICE (The past participle of the verb “eclipse” used to complete the passive voice of the verb eclipse in 3rd person singular of the present tense):

In the clause “the sun is eclipsed by the moon” the word eclipse tells what happens to the sun at the time that it happens.

Are you watching the eclipse now? Do not be eclipsed by the above grammar. It is simpler than you think, but more difficult than you believe.

And, let not the synonyms think and believe fool you into believing that they are very different in this context.

Roddy

p.s.  Solar is an adjective form of sun, and lunar is a adjective form of moon.

In order to produce an outstanding user experience Grammar Captive must incorporate a PHP session variable on its podcast webpage.  As this is a new adventure some additional time is required.

In the meantime, work has already begun on the Grammar Captive introductory podcasts.

Roddy

This was not the time to do it, but it had to be done. Grammar Captive is now resident at Galvanize in Pioneer Square. Galvanize is an IT training center and host for young software entrepreneurs. It is located in Seattle’s charming old town not far from Seattle’s international and financial districts. After a full three weeks of struggle with no or only an unsecure and unreliable internet connection Grammar Captive now has both. Accordingly, the iTunes podcast feed has finally been completed, and Grammar Captive is able to generate automatically a new XML-RSS feed with each new podcast for both iTunes and other podcast hosts. Hooray, hooray.
Next up is a podcast webpage devoted to Grammar Captives upcoming weekly podcasts and completion and automation of Seven Gates, Grammar Captive’s weekly newsletter.
Roddy

Although at a great address SURF Incubator has proven unacceptable for further development.  Grammar Captive has moved a little further south to the Impact Hub where there is more technical expertise better suited for website development.

As soon as the Grammar Captive website has been updated, I will let you know more.  The daily time schedule remains the same, even though the dates are no longer appropriate.  Hopefully this problem will be fixed very soon.

Roddy

As predicted, adding new channel elements has proven easy. Adding new subelements to the item elements is only slightly more difficult and moving forward at good speed.

One more thing needs to be accomplished before returning to the automation of the Seven Gates newsletter, however:  a Grammar Captive podcast landing page — a place to go once the newsletter has been received and interested in the current week’s podcast has been generated.

I am building a funnel, but it is not out of the box.  It may succeed right away; it may require further adjustment.  Certainly it will not have been copied once complete.  In any case, it will be custom Grammar Captive.

Roddy

I was beginning to think that it would never happen, but yesterday evening, just before leaving the office, there it was — my first automatically created podcast feed.

Although there were only seven variables in my test feed, adding the rest should be a piece of cake in comparison.

After three different PHP libraries I finally discovered one that not only services ATOM, RFD, and RSS2 feeds, but one that is rock solid in design, very flexible in application, and actually works.

Best wishes to Anis Uddin Ahmad and Michael Bremmer for making FeedWriter what it is!

Roddy

Selection of the appropriate software for the creation of an automated RSS feed for Grammar Captive’s podcast series and Seven Gates — Grammar Captive’s weekly newsletter — has proven problematic.

Although an important lesson has been learned and much accomplished in regard to the manipulation of Grammar Captive’s database, the first selected piece of software has been abandoned and replaced.

This delay, although most unfortunate, will lead to greater and more reliable flexibility than was previously expected.  Grammar Captive continues to move ahead.

Roddy