Q & A - Intermediate Blogging Webinar Feedback

The following are questions asked at a recent Blogging for Intermediates webinar. I'm posting the answers in hopes of maximizing learning - my own included. :)


Patricia: Does the RSS button change colors when there is new mail?
Answer: There's no color change of the RSS button, but when new posts are delivered to you via Google Reader, often times the number of new pieces to be read will be in parentheses. For instance, if you have seven new posts from a particular blog, the blog will have (7) listed at the end of the subscription's title.



Joan: With Google Reader can you have two accounts?
Answer: You'd have to have two Google Accounts to have two Google Reader Accounts. Yes, this is possible.


Debbie : Do you work with educators on developing blogs?
Answer: Yes.


Beth: What grade of students are you doing this with?
Answer: 9th thru 12th

Ann: Since you are embedding code from a site (VoiceThread), must VoiceThread be available to the student when s/he clicks the VoiceThread "link"? I'm wondering about WebSense, etc.
Answer: VoiceThread does not need to be up on another browser window, if this is what you're asking. If you're asking will a student see a VoiceThread if your district blocks it, the student will not until he/she goes home where the site is not blocked. While I've not seen any advertising accompanying embedded material yet, I wouldn't doubt that this may be an issue in the future. But right now, no it's not an issue.

Piatek: Can you do this with video from YouTube? What about rights and permissions?
Answer: Yes you can embed YouTube videos in a blog. When you embed, you are really just linking to the multimedia which is stored/housed on another server (in this case the YouTube server). You are not downloading and hosting any version of the multimedia. If there is a notice from the owner saying that there is to be no linking to, or embedding of, a particular video, then of course, you have to abide by this wish. Otherwise, when a site offers embeddable coding it is saying "link to this" using this code.