Tag: Facebook

YouTube Playlists: Embedding and Promoting

I don’t know whether this works or not, so I’m giving it a try. That’s the great thing about a blog: You can experiment and see what works, and then modify your approach based on what you learn. And so that’s why I’m doing this as a SMUG research project, so that later I can add a fully cleaned-up post to either our Mayo Clinic News Blog or Podcast Blog. And by doing this learning in public, hopefully I’ll get some additional ideas from the SMUGgle community. I hope you’ll share those in the comments.

So here’s the issue: Mayo Clinic’s Nicotine Dependence Center has created a series of three Stop Smoking videos, such as this one I’ve embedded below:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ewwzazHfq4]

I created a playlist too, which we’re going to feature for a time at least on the front of our Mayo Clinic YouTube channel.

But I also wanted to see whether that playlist could be embedded within WordPress.com blogs. I tried embedding below using the standard “Add Video” button, but at least in the preview it wasn’t visible.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F65A784F26782AF6]

If you still can’t see it in the space immediately above now that I’ve published it, that means it still didn’t work.

YouTube does have embed codes for its playlists that would work on Blogger or Typepad (and I expect for WordPress blogs that aren’t hosted on WordPress.com). But for security reasons, WordPress.com doesn’t allow Flash widgets on its blogs, because it doesn’t want someone to upload malicious code that could bring down millions of blogs. So your users can’t view the entire playlist unless you embed each video individually.

So what’s the workaround?

I would suggest that if you’re on WordPress.com and want to highlight a YouTube playlist, you should embed one of the videos (and probably add some annotations) but then just say something like:

“Check out the whole Mayo Clinic Stop Smoking playlist on YouTube” and have it open in a new window.

YouTube playlists also can be shared directly from within YouTube by e-mail, and individual videos also can be shared through Facebook and MySpace. I guess that probably makes the annotations even more important, because they can include links to the playlist, so people who find one of the videos will also have links to the others.

I also have featured this playlist on the wall of Mayo Clinic’s Facebook page, and then I Tweeted it. I also shared on Facebook by posting it to my personal profile. I suppose I could send an update to Mayo Clinic’s fans on Facebook, but I want to be pretty judicious in how many of those I send.

I have, of course, added the Get Social series of buttons at the bottom of this post so it can be shared easily via Facebook, StumbleUpon and other networking sites. I suppose that in the post I do on the News Blog, adding these would be a good way to spread the word.

What do you think? What other methods for promoting a YouTube video playlist would you recommend?

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iPhone First Impressions

I’ve had my iPhone for a little over a week. It’s quite a marvel, and what’s even better is that it’s a platform that can accept applications to extend its functionality. So far I’ve installed the free Facebook, Twitterific and WordPress apps. I’ve used the WordPress app to create this blog post. It’s pretty elegant.

I had to wait until my Sprint contract expired in early September to make the switch. If any SMUGgles have
longer-term experience with the iPhone (and recommendations on must-have applications), please share your thoughts in the comments below.

I also just adopted most of Guy Kawasaki’s settings for improved battery performance. I’m also getting some of his applications, particularly “If Found.” I’ll tell you why that’s so important in a future post.

Meanwhile, what are your must-have iPhone apps?

Facebook 130: Facebook Events

The blogging has been light for the past few days for two main reasons:

First, we’re in the middle of volleyball season in Minnesota, and my daughter Rebekah’s team had and all-day tournament last Saturday, a five-game victory Monday night (an away game that was 90 minutes from home) and had another road game last night. You can see the exciting 15-13 Game 5 win over Mankato West in the YouTube video below. Rebekah is the middle hitter who got the final kill that led to the celebration.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwX03upilFs]

And speaking of celebrations, the other limiting factor on my blogging time has been the SMUG Campus Renovation project. It has included cafeteria remodeling (a new kitchen) and a new North Porch on Old Main, creation of a cobblestone campus courtyard and construction of the North Annex.

Much of my spare time over the last few weeks, and all day Wednesday, has been devoted to having the campus renovation completed before this weekend.

Because on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008 we will be holding a dedication and naming ceremony for the North Annex. That and a big family birthday party for Rebekah and her sister, Ruthie, along with some cousins. And a welcoming to Austin of my new granddaughter, Evelyn Grace.

So as I do with much of my life, I’m using this as a way of showing how social media tools, particularly Facebook, can make organizing — “community” or otherwise — easier. I created a Facebook Event in the SMUG group, and I captured its set-up in the video below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RmxGiEPGBg]

I was interrupted at the end so I didn’t get to finish the screencast, and I’m not sure why the video at the beginning has some black streaks, but here’s the Annex Dedication event in the SMUG Facebook group.

All SMUGgles are invited to the 3 p.m. CDT dedication and naming ceremony on Sunday. While your attendance is by no means mandatory (particularly for those whose presence would require air travel), you’re certainly welcome. And if you can’t come, you’ll be able to participate virtually as I upload photos and videos to the Facebook event.

Assignment:

Go to the SMUG Annex Dedication event in Facebook and leave your RSVP.

Facebook 103: Facebook Friend Etiquette

In the 1960s, when I was too young to be in on all the rebellion, the anti-war protesters had a slogan expressing wariness of all those who had begun their fourth decade: “Never trust anyone over 30.”

For those of us who are now among the thirtysomethings and above, here’s a general rule of Facebook etiquette I follow with few exceptions:

“Never friend anyone under 30.”

I still accept friend requests from youngsters, but I let them initiate the connection. Especially since I’m a grandpa I don’t want to unsettle the younger Facebook crowd. I don’t want teenagers wondering “Who’s this old guy who wants to be my friend?”

If you’re old enough to know better, I’d recommend the same rule for you.

Some other helpful hints:

  1. Do invite people in your e-mail address book to be your Facebook friends. If you use Web-based services like Gmail or Hotmail, it’s an easy process. We’ll cover how to do it in a future course. The benefit of adding people as Facebook friends is you can retain contact with them even as they change jobs (and consequently their e-mail addresses.) Their Facebook profiles will stay the same, though, and they will likely update them with their new e-mail to stay in touch.
  2. Do use Facebook Friend Lists to group your friends, as described in Facebook 210. You can assign varying levels of privacy for personal, family or professional friends. Besides the enhanced privacy settings, it also makes it easier for you to send a quick message to a group with a common interest. A person can be on more than one of your lists.
  3. Don’t just network for networking’s sake. Even worse, don’t network for marketing’s sake. If you’re just adding friends so you can later spam them with get-rich-quick schemes, you’re missing the point. Social media aren’t about aggregating eyeballs; they’re about making real connections. That’s why I have these rules for accepting Facebook friend requests.
  4. “Unfriending” is OK, but you have other options. If I accept a friend request from someone who turns out to be a spammer, I “unfriend” without a second thought. They have tons of “friends” and won’t be personally offended. In the hypothetical example of a real acquaintance or former classmate who gets uncomfortably friendly after all these years, you can start by putting him or her into a group with restricted access to your profile, including taking away the ability to see your wall or photos. Again, see Facebook 210 for instructions. If that still doesn’t create enough distance, you can unfriend and block the person. But the preliminary steps may be enough, without invoking the nuclear option.

How about you? What additional “Miss Manners” advice would you offer for people new to Facebook?