[MTOS-dev] MT as asset aggregator

[Dan Wolfgang]

My feedback is minimal, but here it is: I love all the possibilities
that have been thought up for how to use the Assets system. I think
it's the most exciting new feature to come out of MT4 and I'm
interested to see what it develops into as time goes by. (In
fact--when I can get some time--I really hope I can get some plugins
together to do some other things *I* want out of the Assets tool.)

Dan



On Dec 31, 2007 7:08 PM, Bud Gibson <fpgibson at gmail.com> wrote:
> [postscript:  First off, I'd like to thank Byrne Reese and Mark Carey for
> suffering through blog comments and private email conversations as I have
> attempted to figure out MT's asset management system.  They both helped me
> understand that I was just fundamentally not seeing some things.]
>
> I just got done reading Byrne's post to the MT.org blog about MT's asset
> management capabilities and his two plug-ins, podcasting and media manager.
> I think asset management is a nice move forward for the platform and applaud
> Byrne's work on the two plugins.  Once you read the code, you can definitely
> figure out how to roll your own.
>
> However, I think MT(OS) is still missing the boat in a big way for asset
> management.  Here are a few observations as to why along with solutions:
>
> 1.  The podcasting and media manager plugins actually overlap.  Both insert
> assets into the asset management system.  Once an asset is in the asset
> management system, it can be associated with any entry.  The podcast plugin
> seems to be a special case of the media manager.  The podcast plugin is an
> attempt to fit the specific use case of people producing mp3 audio podcasts
> who just want an easy way to insert that information into their entry.
>
> Solution:  Probably focus development on the media manager plugin since it
> provides the more general case.  However, the podcast plugin provides a good
> example of code that associates media with entries.
>
> 2.  Anyone I know who is producing sites with significant media content has
> organized the process so that media production is totally separate from
> writing and publication.  They're different skill sets.  However, the whole
> MT approach is built around melding the three.  Assets are inserted directly
> into entries, something that bewilders people who are just trying to write
> and complicates later syndication and publication in unpleasant ways.
>
> Solution:  Quit trying to insert media directly into entry text.  Instead,
> associate the media with an entry and leave it to templates to place the
> media in the appropriate spot proximate to the entry that it is associated
> with.
>
> 3.  Media manager is built on the idea of accessing external media sites
> using site specific APIs.  One would write a separate extension in media
> manager for youtube vs. flickr vs. photobucket vs. blip.tv.  However, at a
> very base level, these four external asset management sites actually share
> one uniform RESTful API.  That is to request a specific RSS feed and then be
> returned media RSS.  Viewed at this level, the APIs are shared and brain
> dead simple.
>
> Solution:  Create an asset manager extension that reads media RSS from a URL
> supplied by the user, and you've covered the four biggest ones.  Ben Trott's
> refeed might provide part of the basis for this functionality.
>
> In sum, I think MT would take a giant step forward if we created an asset
> aggregation plugin.  The plugin would do the following:
>
> 1.  Periodically poll RSS media feed URLs provided by the blog
> administrator.
>
> 2.  Pull the assets designated in those feeds into a list of available
> external assets (this list need have no memory beyond what is pulled from
> the RSS file)
>
> 3.  Make it possible for blog administrators to associate external assets
> with entries (without forcing them to insert code into the entry text).
> This would cause an asset to be created within MT's internal asset
> management system and associate that asset with the entry.
>
> A plugin that just addressed point 3 would be a big win, and I think it's
> possible to create one relatively easily from Byrne's podcast plugin.
>
> So, happy new year,
> Bud
>
> --
> Bud Gibson
> cell:  734-657-4800
> web:  http://michiganinnovators.org
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>
>



-- 
Dan

http://uinnovations.com  -  Web development with a focus on UI and Movable Type.
http://eatdrinksleepmovabletype.com  -  I eat, drink and sleep Movable Type.
http://danandsherree.com  -  But occasionally find time for other things.