If Apple isn't going to fix iTunes and put links (permalinks) back to the original weblog post directly from iTunes then I think it's high time we fix it for them and perhaps in the process show them we as a community of podcasters and vloggers mean business.
I don't do this often, but this is the only way I know to get Apples attention. (They don't return my phone calls :)
So, please join me in asking the wonderful team at Feedburner to impliment a "fix itunes permalinks" feature by commenting or reblogging as you will. Hopefully the combination of our efforts will get Apple's attention.
Details below.
On Dec 17, 2005, at 4:01 PM, Michael Meiser wrote:
Howdy Rick, My compliments on the new features Feedflare.
http://www.burningdoor.com/feedburner/archives/001543.html
This is an open letter to ask if you and the guys at feedburner would be willing to fix itunes.
What specifically I mean is itunes supports plain-text ONLY, no formating, no links in their silly comments box. They do in fact NOT have any links anywhere back to the permalink page on which the podcast or video was posted.
I find this a slap in the face of podcasters and vloggers everywhere as podcasting and video blogging have the opportunity to be much more than simply a broadcast medium. In fact many would say being able to comment is an essential feature of videoblogging and podcasting. Which is why EVERY OTHER RSS READER HAS CLICKABLE PERMALINKS. Sorry, I just wanted to be clear about that.
Anyway, my friends try to console me in my constant bitching that it's not that apple is evil, but just that they didn't have a good mechanism for displaying rich text, that they're sort of clueless. And so I've waited. However it's been to long, I would have thought they'd fix it by now in one of the many version updates that have come out. In fact apple has now put in links back to the homepage of the blog for every post, right near the podcast title, but STILL no link directly to the permalink page... I'm beginning to find it impossible that they're that clueless and am beginning to wonder if it's not part of some diabolical plan to either undermine the success of podcasting, or just to see if they can't piss absolutely everyone in this community off. Well, I'm pissed off, but I don't get made I find solutions... and maybe get even. ;)
So how can you help?
Simple... you should, might, could, add in plain-text permalinks into a feed at the end of the description field.. it would then be readable and copyable right from itunes info box. Easy for you to implement in a feed and much better than thousands of users having to go to a blog and browse around and look for the right post so they can read or comment upon it. Example below.
Comment!
http://permalink.com/blog/post.html
Well, you get the idea, i just wish apple did. Of course you could add your other features of your FeedFlair like emailing and delicious too. Just as long as your urls aren't to long. And of course you have control of that too.
How to do this...
1) Well the easiest way would just be to put a switch into the feed and just allow people to turn it on.. call it the "fix itunes" switch. I'm sure it'll not only get peoples attention, but get blogged about a bit too. ;)
2) Option two, detect feed calls from itunes... would work great, but requires some spryness on your part... then just put in the permalink at the very end of the post no matter what. Won't get you much publicity though, just help out the community.
I suggest option one, you might put have an optional checkbox put in where people can add the additional feature as follows.
Tell apple to fix these permalinks in iTunes!
http://feedburner.com/form/to/email/apple/support
Be as nice or evil about it as you like, but if nothing else all the attention and publicity you'll get out of it will help you, help your customers and give apple a wake up call so maybe they'll fix it a little sooner.
Thanks!
-Mike
Michael Meiser
fix-permalinks-in-itunes@mmeiser.com
http://mmeiser.com/blog - fun stuff
http://mmeiser.com/backchannel - del.icio.us link blog
http://evilvlog.com - serious lunacy has a new domain
http://mefeedia.com - I love mefeedia
No comments:
Post a Comment