[MTOS-dev] MT as asset aggregator

Tue Jan 1 11:38:49 PST 2008

Indeed, as a long time user of vox particularly for the classroom, I can see
where the current asset system gets much of its inspiration.

I started this thread to solicit a more grass-roots perspective.  How would
something like MT fit into the individual podcaster's tool kit and make MT
more valuable to that person than say WordPress?  At the end of the day, WP
is not nearly as well architected as MT, but it's more or less winning the
grass-roots war because there is an easy means for people to get started
with things like podcasting in ways that fit their work flow.

For instance, it took me about a day to find and implement a WordPress
solution for podcasting that required no development on my part.  I did not
go that route because I see other issues with the platform.  However, the
network effects for wordpress solutions were almost overwhelming.

I'd like to see those effects develop for media publishers at an individual
level that makes MT a no-brainer for them.

Bud

On Jan 1, 2008 11:51 AM, Anil Dash <anil at sixapart.com> wrote:

> Seconding Dan's sentiments. When we first started working on an asset
> system (Vox had one before MT), my desire was to eventually connect all
> these things together in a smart way.
>
> For example, the Vox team has talked about the Open Media Profile, which
> is a combination of Open Search and Media RSS. It's a nice way to, for
> example, search some third party site for every asset tagged "puppy", get
> back a media feed of those assets and then (presumably, eventually) have
> them all added into your MT library.
>
> One of the best ways to understand how such an asset system could work in
> MT, in my opinion, is to look at some of the great work in Vox.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: mtos-dev-bounces at sixapart.com <mtos-dev-bounces at sixapart.com>
> To: Bud Gibson <fpgibson at gmail.com>
> Cc: mtos-dev at sixapart.com <mtos-dev at sixapart.com>
> Sent: Tue Jan 01 08:58:23 2008
> Subject: Re: [MTOS-dev] MT as asset aggregator
>
> 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
> > _______________________________________________
> > MTOS-dev mailing list
> > MTOS-dev at sixapart.com
> > http://www.sixapart.com/mailman/listinfo/mtos-dev
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> 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.
> _______________________________________________
> MTOS-dev mailing list
> MTOS-dev at sixapart.com
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>

-- 
Bud Gibson
cell:  734-657-4800
web:  http://michiganinnovators.org
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