Simple solution for website, blog and podcasts

[LeeElms]

I am looking for advice to meet the requirement to produce a website that will support blog posts and integration to a site hosting podcasts, at low cost. The volume of traffic would not be high, even in the longer term. Looking at what is available, Wordpress for the web site and Anchor.fm as the podcasts hosting site appear to provide the facilities, but I can't find a simple way to link them without using third party products.

 

[pe2dave]

Wordpress seems to meet your needs? I thought they also supported RSS / atom?

 

[akirk]

how do you envisage linking them (at a non-technical / user level)?
wordpress is probably the default answer in the cheap / easy / blog / posting type solution
anchor.fm does have an RSS feed, so you could use that to feed into wordpress...

 

[pe2dave]

"(at a non-technical / user level)?" I don't. Equally I wouldn't expect to speak French without learning the language?
<a href="url of sought target" alt="A link to the RSS | website feed">RSS | website</a>
Not massively technical?
Lots of sites show basic HTML usage.

 

[akirk]

My posting overlapped yours Dave - question was to the OP

there are many ways of linking data online - your example is a simple clickable link, but the OP may want more - they may want to see the podcast title, date, author etc. in a list / they may want it graphically displayed with cover artwork / they may want a link to go to anchor.fm / they may want the podcast to be playable within wordpress / they may want people to be able to subscribe to the podcasts from the website / they may want links through to podcast platforms such as Apple's or Spotify (Anchor.fm allows you to distribute your podcasts) / etc.

Once the desired outcome is understood at a non-technical level, it is possible to think through a technical solution...

(for clarity - I run a website company)

 

[Spectric]

What are blog posts and podcasts, a new fencing system or ?

 

[LeeElms]

Thanks for the prompt responses. I suspect I need to get some basic familiarity of how to do things in Wordpress, because at the moment I can't get it to link to the Anchor podcast. I've followed a website that says you can just paste the Anchor episode embed code into a Wordpress Custom HTML block, but when I do that, the Anchor details are shown in preview, but there is nothing there on the published site (excuse me if I'm not using exactly the correct terminology).

 

[akirk]

are you pasting it when in html view (in the editor), or one of the other views which might strip out content you paste in?
happy to have a quick look for you if you want me to (you would have to pm me with admin access, where you want it and the code you are trying to paste... so you might wish to set up a new admin user which you can remove once done...) may not have time until tomorrow...

 

[LeeElms]

I think I've worked out what my immediate problem is ... the embed code for Anchor.fm uses 'iframe', which Wordpress removes because of the security risk. As I'm using the free Wordpress, I can't use a plugin to get around this.

Is Wordpress / Anchor.fm a viable choice (can I do better using these than to have a bare link to the podcast content?), or are there better low cost alternatives?

 

[akirk]

low cost is tricky online if you want any semblance of control, your best hosting / website option is still wordpress, you might just have to source cheap hosting...

almost any media you embed is likely to have an iframe, it is very tricky to control something sitting on another website from a page on your site, that contradicts all sorts of security requirements... an iframe negates that issue by keeping control on that other website within the iframe... your only alternative is to host the media directly on your website...

 

[Dibs-h]

are you pasting it when in html view (in the editor), or one of the other views which might strip out content you paste in?
happy to have a quick look for you if you want me to (you would have to pm me with admin access, where you want it and the code you are trying to paste... so you might wish to set up a new admin user which you can remove once done...) may not have time until tomorrow...

On the surface of it - the above (in bold) seems a reasonable request but unless you know the person in real life (and really well at that), do not pm anyone credentials especially admin ones to a wordpress site or anything else.

If you want help and they can offer it - there is no reason you can't logon to wordpress or whatever as the admin user, from your laptop\PC and they can remote into you laptop\PC (using Teamviewer, Mikogo or simialr things). That way you can watch what is happening and in some remote software you can switch who "drives" etc.

Dibs

 

[LeeElms]

Thank you for the warning, and the suggestion of a safer route.

 

[akirk]

not unreasonable points - but I am registered on here under my own name - not hiding under a pseudonym, and am easily traceable around the internet and for further clarity - run www.designtoo.com it is also worth bearing in mind that I wouldn't remote into hardware belonging to someone I don't know - too much of a risk for me - so, to avoid any form of suspicion I will happily withdraw my offer... - all the best Alasdair

 

[Dibs-h]

I think I've worked out what my immediate problem is ... the embed code for Anchor.fm uses 'iframe', which Wordpress removes because of the security risk. As I'm using the free Wordpress, I can't use a plugin to get around this.

Is Wordpress / Anchor.fm a viable choice (can I do better using these than to have a bare link to the podcast content?), or are there better low cost alternatives?

Lee - when you say using the free Wordpress, do you mean you are using ?

https://wordpress.com/free/
I'm not sure what restrictions wordpress.com place on folks using them - i.e. no plugins etc - but the Wordpress platform itself (the software in essence) is very powerful and there isn't much you can't do with it.

I did come across a post than mentioned that your own site has to be of the same type as the one in the iFrame, otherwise you might have issues, i.e. if the iframe references HTTPS, your site needs to have HTTPS and similarly with HTTP to HTTP. No mix and match.

Also I have seen mention of a Wordpress plugin that "integrated" with Anchor.fm - in reality it was actually copying from your account on anchor.fm and placing the files in\on Wordpress.

Not a bad thing necessarily - just means the traffic would be higher for your website. Just depends on how many podcasts, subscribers, etc.

I'd continue with trying to get the iFrame working - despite the "oldness" of the approach - it should work, after all you are just "pulling" stuff down, you aren't pushing data up to the source of the iFrame.

Maybe just try to get a basic iFrame working that shows some content first? There should be tons of tutorials on the web for doing basic YouTube or other ones. Get that going first - then see if you can get the anchor.fm one working.

HIH

Dibs

 

[LeeElms]

Yes, I am using Wordpress.com The free option here doesn't allow either iFrame or plugins. If Wordpress/Anchor.fm is suitable in other respects, I will look for another Wordpress host. For the moment, I will just link the podcasts rather than having an embedded player.

 

[Dibs-h]

The free option here doesn't allow either iFrame or plugins.

I suspect the no plugins is obvious but the iFrame might be buried in text somewhere.

You don't actually need wordpress hosting - standard Linux hosting should be sufficient and then from a few button clicks, wordpress will install and you'll be good to go.

If you find something and want to run it by folk or me - post it up, or drop me a PM or whatever works for you.