Podcaster XML Generator

I’ve been working on resurrecting what was known as RootSync.  I’ve also been working on making it a fully in-house project where everything from the hosts to the software the show runs on is built fully in-house.

Yesterday I sat down to create a podcast RSS feed application… and I’ve succeeded:

podcaster1

Podcaster 0.0.1 is an application to make generating those carefully crafted RSS feeds quick and easy. 

Upon installation you’ll be presented a basic windows form.  Hit the file menu and either open an existing iTunes compatible RSS XML file or start a new podcast.  Fill in the blanks and you’re done.

In the end you will end up with a simple document similar to this:

image

If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions… PLEASE leave post them here…

This application is still in early beta version 0.0.1.  Thus there may still be bugs, if you find any post what happened and if possible some screen shots and I’ll get them repaired and a new version released ASAP.

Since we are in beta, this application is completely free for anybody to use for any purpose… Enjoy!Get it from CNET Download.com!

Launch either the Setup.msi or Setup.exe within.  Once installed look under your start menu->Moran IT->Podcaster  for the launch-able shortcut.

For best use… put your mp3 or mp4 all into the same directory with this rss file.  Like this:

image

Notice how I’ve got a different folder for each podcast.  Under each is the related graphics, feed.rss, and mp3/4’s. 

Podcaster will use the feed.rss’s PATH to search for related media when choosing the episodes media and graphic files.  It is linked to the Episode number… increment it and it will search for the related media file.

I host my own podcasts and have IIS setup to give the feed.rss as the default document.  Thus I simply put http://podcasts.rootsync.com/audio and the audio folders feed.rss is served up.

All new Day

Today was an interesting one… Not. Not much happened today that was all that note worthy. Today was the one of four more days at my current “day” job. Overall not bad. It was a 7am to 7pm shift where I was so engaged with what I was doing I didn’t even remember to take my lunch.
Anyways, this does lead into my overall thoughts for the past few days which are indeed technical.

My question I want to pose to the world in general… Is it time for a replacement to Facebook?

I ask because of the last several news worthy articles about Facebook have all been about their wild changes to their privacy policies. Is it just to much to ask that my private thoughts I posted for friends and family… Oh I don’t know… Remain only for their eyes?

I bring this up because of the other stories about employers researching new employees or applicants on the internet for what their online profiles look like. Now it is, as far as I know, against the law for them to hold your online persona against you when considering job applicants… But you just know it happens… Right? Am I alone in thinking that?

Anyways I was wanting to ask that for a few reasons. I have been developing a remote support software, like many others Kaseya and BigFix being just two, that can remotely manage computers. Well… Here is the thing… I just got a shiny new job at BigFix and I feel it would be not very appropriate to continue with that project as long as I worked there. I have also been slowly getting away from helping the general public with IT support problems as well.

(come on Daniel, wrap it up… LOL)

I need a new project that doesn’t clearly introduce a conflict of interest to my new job.
Thus I’m proposing that maybe I could start putting together the new replacement for Facebook… With all the security, privacy and features that everyone wants in their social networking website of choice.

I have a wonderful idea for a “privacy slider” that would be attached to every post that users make… Wether it is short Twitter-like posts, pictures, long blog articles, or even simple conversations between friends, family, coworkers and public. Everything has a privacy value that you can change at the time of posting. This way you are the master of what is public, private and who in-between can see it…

Leave your comments below… I will read each and every idea as I’m excited to maybe work on the new and improved rootSync.com